Where There's Chaos There's Adventure
by ThraeNavnik
Summary: When Dina and her childhood friend Todd enter the Caliosteo Cup they end up getting much more than they bargained for with an evil organization trying to stop it, new friends and even an ancient curse coming back from the dead.
1. Prologue

The morning breeze curled around the branches of the trees and carried the clouds lazily through the air of the mountains. The mild temperatures of the spring day made it a perfect time for a hike. A young girl in a blue jumpsuit sat upon the edge of the cliff, her soft brown eyes wide in awe at the beauty around her. A call from made her turn her tear her gaze away from the view.

"Hey, Dina! How long are you going to stand around and stare at the scenery, huh?" Her brown haired friend was hopping from one foot to the other in excitement. "Quit stalling and get over here!"

The girl grinned and scrambled to her feet, brushing a strand of her light auburn hair behind her ear as she rushed to meet her friend. He was shorter than her by at least a few centimeters. She gave him a small wave. His smile grew wider.

"People say wild vivosaurs live up at the top of this mountain," he said. Upon seeing her confused look he sighed and continued, "Come on, Dina! We just went over this! A vivosaur is a dinosaur that's been revived from fossils. Man, I never thought I'd see one with my very own eyes! Now come on! We're not leaving until we get some wild vivosaurs of our very own!"

Dina's grin faded into a frown as she stared at her friend. She opened her mouth as if she was going to say something but then shut it and shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Don't give me that look," Her friend whined. "I know I'm not very brave, but maybe we'll get a small, nice vivosaur like a Hypsi. Come on, race you to the top!" He took off running. Dina's mouth opened in a silent shout, her smile returning as she chased after her friend.

They raced up the path, leaping over fallen branches and swerving around rocks. Her friend's laugh could be heard clearly through the air as she ran beside him, any problems they had before forgotten in their joy.

They skidded to a stop at the peak, pausing to catch their breath.

"I win!" The boy gave a small hop. "I win, I win, I win! I beat you!" Dina gave him a playful shove and looked around. She tipped her head to the side in thought. Her friend also seemed to be confused as well. He puffed out his cheeks furiously as he said, "Hey, there's no vivosaurs here! Someone must have been lying to me!"

Dina reached out, grabbing a hold of his shirt as the ground around them rumbled. A look of fear passed over the kids' faces for a moment.

"Wh-what was that!? What's going on!?" The boy stammered. Dina slowly let go of him and took a few steps forward, signalling for him to stay where he was. She peered into the trees. From the bushes an Allosaurus burst towards them, jaws gaping wide open as it roared.

The boy turned and raced away, crying out in terror. Dina ran after him, glancing over her shoulder at the furious vivosaur. They stopped at a cliff, unable to run anywhere else. Dina stood in front of her friend, shaking as she desperately tried to protect him.

"W-we're dead, we're so dead!" Her friend wailed in fear, burying his face in Dina's back. He then turned his gaze to the sky, face paling. "Oh, no, not another one!" Dina looked up to see what he was looking at. A Ptera was flying towards them. As her friend began to panic, Dina gently tugged his sleeve and pointed. Upon the Ptera's back was a man in a cowboy hat. She grinned at him.

"Hop on!" The man called as his Ptera dove to the cliff. Dina grabbed her friend's hand and leaped. The man gripped her arm and pulled the two onto his vivosaur. They soared away from the rogue who was left roaring and screaming at them on the cliff.

Through the flight her friend had his arms wrapped around Dina's waist, whimpering softly about falling off and not wanting to look. Dina turned and gently patted his back as best she could in an attempt to comfort him. The man ordered his Ptera to land in a clearing. Once the three were safely on the ground, they got off and the Ptera returned to its dino medal. Dina's friend was still shaking and clinging to her, but once he got a good look at the man who had helped them his eyes brightened.

"Oh my gosh!" he gasped. "Y-you're...Joe!" Joe smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"Yep, that's me," he replied. "Surprised you know my handle, kid."

"Of course I know you!" The boy was hopping up and down, grinning. "You're the greatest Fossil Fighter in the whole world! Your fossil skills are legendary! You're Joe Wildwest! I can't believe I'm actually talking to you! This is amazing! I must sound like a real nerd right now, huh?" He looked to Dina, who was smiling at him. She gave a brief nod and her hand flew to her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she laughed silently. Joe tilted his head at her, but before he could say anything the Allo roared in the distance, its heavy footsteps growing closer.

"That Allosaurus is madder than a sack full'a hornets," Joe said. "We can't let it leave the mountain all riled up like that, or folks'll be in a heap'a trouble. Ain't no other choice. We gotta subdue the critter in a Fossil Battle." He then turned to the boy, smiling. "How about it, small fry? Think you're up for it? I'll even loan ya one'a my Dino Medals for the fight. So how 'bout it?" Dina turned to look at her friend and nodded to him, smiling reassuringly. Todd paled and bent over, clutching his stomach and whining about it hurting. Dina huffed and put her hand on her hips, a little more than fed up with her friend's behavior. Joe had a brow raised. He turned to Dina.

"Well, fair enough," he sighed. "Guess I'll be lending you my Dino Medal instead. I got four of 'em, so just take whichever one strikes yer fancy." He held out the four medals, explaining how each of the vivosaurs look. Behind him, Dina's friend gave her a thumbs up. She was unsure at first, but a soft, comforting hum from the Aeroseton helped her decision. She reached out, carefully picking up the medal.

 _I promise to protect you, child,_ The motherly voice echoed within her mind. Upon seeing Dina's surprised expression, Joe grinned.

"Seems Aerosteon's takin' a liking you you," he said. "The strength of a Fossil Fighter depends on how much of a bond they build with their vivosaurs. Make sure ya'll trust each other and try to have some fun, all right?" Dina nodded and smiled down at the Dino Medal. She tossed it onto the air and the Aerosteon formed in front of her, letting out a soft growl at the Allo. Joe quickly went over the basics of Fossil Battles as her friend watched on from behind a tree.

The Aero looked behind her at Dina, who shifted awkwardly with a shrug. The vivosaur nodded in understanding.

 _Don't worry, child,_ she said. _I will handle this myself._

The Aero let out a burst of wind from its jaws, sending the Allo skidding back. It snarled and raced forward, biting down upon the Aero's arm. With one last Wind Blast, the Allo was defeated and the battle was over. The Allo returned to being a Dino Medal and Joe walked over, picking it up.

"Nice job, small fry," he said to Dina. "You did real good." Her friend let out a shout of agreement as he rushed over, wrapping his arms around his friend in a hug. Dina raised a brow at him, poking him in the stomach.

"Oh, haha, my stomach doesn't hurt anymore," he laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, well, who cares about that now, am I right? You were amazing!"

"This Allosaurus was abandoned by some cruel Fighter." Joe frowned down at the medal in his hand. "Reckon that's why he had his shorts in a bunch. Vivosaurs need to be with Fossil Fighters they know they can trust. If they're abandoned, they go feral and their true nature emerges. That's why I'm here, actually. The Fighters Association asked me to round up rogue vivosaurs."

"That's so mean, abandoning a vivosaur like that!" Dina's friend's face fell. "When I get a vivosaur I'll make sure to treat them right!" Dina nodded in agreement, looking down at the Aero's medal.

"Aw, shucks, where are my manners?" Joe exclaimed. "You know this already, but I'm Joe Wildwest, and I'm a Fossil Fighter."

"I'm Todd and this is my best friend Dina," Dina's friend said. "We always cheer for you on TV, Joe! Our dream is to become great Fossil Fighters just like you." Joe laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Aw, shucks, you small fries are gonna make me blush." he smiled. "But ya'll oughta aim a little higher. Don't try to be as good as me. Try to be better. Well, I s'pose I should think about seeing you two home, but I ain't quite done with my job yet. I've still got one more vivosaur that needs rescuin', ya see? But ya'll seem pretty capable, so I trust ya can make it home. Tell ya what, Dina. What say you keep that there Dino Medal as my way of sayin' thanks for all the help?" Dina's eyes brightened and she grinned, turning to Todd who had begun to pout.

"If only my stomach hadn't started hurting," he grumbled.

"Listen up, small fries!" Joe made them turn their attention back to him with his announcement. "If you love yer vivosaurs and share their passion for Fossil Battles, then ya'll can accomplish anything! I look forward to the day ya both become proper Fossil Fighters. But for now, I gotta mosey on down the trail. Adios!" He waved goodbye to them as he walked away.

Todd let out an excited giggle and hopped up and down. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "We just got advice from Joe Wildwest himself! No choice now, Dina. We have to become Fighters! Yeah, I know you want it bad. But not as bad as me! Next time I see Joe, I'm gonna be a full-fledged Fighter!" He did a quick pose, making his friend laugh silently. She nodded in agreement, turning her gaze down to her new vivosaur.

 _Thank you, Mayrah,_ She thought.

 **Hello there everyone and thank you for reading the prologue! I'm looking forward to seeing what you all have to say about this. If you've got any questions feel free to PM me. There is something I'd like to say; before and after each round in the Cup you may ask any characters introduced within the chapter or before it questions, whether they are the one fighting or not.**

 **However, please make sure to also tell me your thoughts on the chapter before asking a question. I really want to know what you all think of it. If you wish to ask a question in advance(say asking a question for before/after Round 5 before I post the chapter) please send that question through a PM.**


	2. Welcome to the Caliosteo Cup!

_Two years later…_

Dina sat in a helicopter across from Todd, her Aero, Mayrah, lay next to her in a much smaller form, about the size of a cat. Her head was on Dina's lap and she was snoozing peacefully. Todd, on the other hand, was the exact opposite of the vivosaur; he couldn't stop grinning and his hands were shaking in excitement.

"I can't believe it's finally gonna happen, Dina!" He squealed. "My heart is beating like a jackhammer! We're gonna be in Joe's very own tournament, the Caliosteo Cup! All the cool Fighters just all it the Cup for short."

Dina raised a brow, as if questioning if he was really cool enough to be calling it that himself.

"Hey, don't give me that look, I'm very cool!" Todd laughed. He looked outside at the ocean below them. "Joe would be amazed to know we made it through the preliminaries and came all the way here! Hey! I can see Caliosteo Fossil Park! That's where the Cup's going to be!" Dina hurried over to look outside the window as well, spotting the island on the horizon. Mayrah yawned and raised her head, woken by the excitement of the two kids. She smiled at them.

The helicopter landed and the two hopped off, looking around the small town. Dina called Mayrah back to Dino Medal form. An attendant walked over to greet them, welcoming them to the park. An announcement rang out before the two could begin to explore, saying that registration for the Caliosteo Cup would be ending soon and that all Fighters should hurry if they wished to participate.

Panicked, Todd grabbed Dina's hand and rushed to the Fighter Station. They hurried to the receptionist and Todd quickly introduced himself and Dina. The receptionist nodded and pressed a button on the desk, calling someone down to help. A brown haired woman walked into the room through a door.

"Hey there," she greeted. "I'm Stella, the Staff Leader here on Ribular Island. You guys made it just in time!" She took the two on a quick tour of the island, explaining how everything worked and giving them helpful tips and advice along the way. During the tour, Dina got to revive a Tricera. She decided to call him Riptide. Todd, meanwhile, got a Stego.

Stella then took them to the Fossil Stadium and introduced them to Devon Strait who gave them a lesson in how the battles within the Cup would work. Dina listened, nodding in understanding and trying to take quick mental notes of everything.

 _Don't worry if you forget, dear,_ Mayrah assured her. _If you ever need anything, just ask._

After the tour, Dina and Todd were officially entered within the Cup. She handed them some Paleopagers so they would receive news and notices. Just as they put their Paleopagers away an announcement came on to tell everyone the opening ceremony would be beginning.

Todd and Dina smiled and turned, heading out of the Fighter Station. They pushed their way through the crowd to get the best view possible. A screen flew in and hovered above the crowd and the excited roar of the crowd grew quieter as Joe's face appeared on the screen, welcoming everyone to the Park. He talked about the Park and the Cup, explaining that the grand prize of the Cup was the entire Park itself. He gave everyone a quick speech and wished everyone luck. The crowd, chatting excitedly, quickly dispersed.

"The Cup's grand prize is this entire Fossil Park!" Todd jumped for joy, tugging at Dina's sleeve. "My mind is completely blown here! This is huge, Dina! We have to find a way to win, no matter what!" Dina nodded in agreement, smiling at her friend.

"Hello, Todd and Dina," Stella greeted as she walked over to them. "The Cup is finally under way."

"Oh, hey, Stella!" Todd smiled up at the staff member.

"Why aren't you two off digging fossil rocks yet?" Stella asked. "You should have received a message on your Paleopagers by now…" As if on cue, their Paleopagers went off, letting them know that the first digsite, Treasure Lake, was open.

"Come on Dina, let's go!" Todd raced away to the dig site before Dina could even reply.

"You know, I'm actually shocked Joe would do something like that," Stella said softly. Dina turned to her, tilting her head as she gave the Staff Leader a confused look.

"None of the staff knew he was putting up the park as a prize," Stella continued. "Not even me. But I suppose you have bigger things to worry about, huh? Good luck with the Cup, Dina." She smiled and headed back into the Fighter Station. Dina wanted a few more answers, but at the same time she knew better than to leave Todd to run around on his own for too long. Putting her questions aside for the time being, she raced off after her childhood friend.

As it turned out, Dina's intuition was right; Todd had raced off before getting his Fossil Sonar and the staff member at the entrance to the dig site asked Dina to bring one to him. Dina happily agreed.

Todd was racing around, trying to find the fossil rocks without the use of a sonar which was going absolutely terribly for him. Dina handed him the Fossil Sonar and gave him a brief scolding for running off without it. Todd smiled sheepishly and thanked her.

The two explored the dig site together, digging up fossil rocks. Once her bag was full, Dina turned to go back to clean the fossils and hopefully revive some new teammates.

When she got to the cleaning room she was introduced to KL-33N and the VMM. Dina decided to let Mayrah and Riptide out in their smaller forms so they could run around and stretch their legs as she cleaned the fossils. She revived Raja that she decided to keep on her team and renamed him to Peak. She called Riptide back into his Dino Medal and let Mayrah stay out as she headed back to the dig site. Having her vivosaur walk beside her definitely helped with the anxiety she was beginning to feel.

Upon arriving at the dig site she saw a large crowd gathered around what seemed to be a camera crew. They were whispering things about whoever the reporter was interviewing-all positive-and seemed very excited. Some looked a little worried about having the person in the cup, leading Dina to believe they would be a difficult opponent in battle. Todd noticed her and waved her over.

"Hey, Dina, did you hear?" he asked softly. "Rupert is entered in the Cup! That's right. _The_ Rupert! They're starting an interview with him now." Dina managed to squeeze through the crowd and froze as she saw the boy.

He looked to be around her age, with white hair and intelligent golden eyes. He held his head high, an aura of power radiating off him. Dina had heard of Rupert and seen brief glimpses of him on the news, but she'd never gotten a good look at him until this moment, nor had she ever seen him in person.

The phrase 'oh no, he's hot,' was not far from what she was thinking in this moment.

The reporter asked Rupert a few questions that he answered with an air of unwavering self-confidence. Rupert paused in the middle of answering one of the questions, spotting the Aero standing loyally by Dina's side. He turned his gaze to Dina, a brow raised.

"It seems I have some competition that's not afraid to show off what they have to offer," he stated. As the camera turned to her, Dina stiffened and gave a brief, nervous wave. Rupert walked over to her and gazed down at her. He was at least an inch taller than her, and Dina was intimidated to say the least.

"And who are you, may I ask?" his voice held no warmth.

"This is my best friend, Dina," Todd stood beside his childhood friend, grinning as he gave her a nudge. "She's going to win the Cup if I don't beat her to it!" Dina shyly lowered her gaze for a moment.

"Is that so?" Dina was surprised by the sudden gentleness within his gaze. He even smiled at her. She gave a small shrug. She wasn't even sure she would make it past the first round.

"It's good to know that there are Fighters out there who aren't letting this whole thing go to their head," he stated. "I look forward to fighting Dina here in the Cup. I'll even watch a few of her matches so I know what I'm up against. However, I'm sad to say that I will not lose to her, nor will I go easy on her." He took her hand and kissed the back of it. Dina's face turned bright red in a blush and Mayrah growled at Rupert. The crowd around them went wild. Some sounded happy happy, while others did not sound so happy. The reporter quickly wrapped up the interview and the crowd dispersed, some shooting Dina a bitter glare. Rupert quickly scowled and turned away from Dina, walking away and muttering to himself. Clearly, that kindness he had shown was an act in front of the camera so he would be more popular.

"That was...something." Todd was clearly not happy with what had just happened. "I'm going to hunt him down and see if he's really all that!" Dina was snapped out of her daze by her friend's rash decision. She gave him a disapproving stare.

"Yeah, yeah, they said not to bother him, but they didn't say we couldn't challenge him to a battle," Todd said with a grin. "I'm going for it! Wish me luck!" He ran off before Dina could stop him. She let out a long, slow sigh and walked after him, shaking her head. Mayrah followed, still growling.

 _How dare that brat kiss your hand like that!_ She snapped at a dragonfly as it fluttered by. _And to do that just for the camera and attention! I'll bite him if he ever does that to you again!_

 _Don't worry, Mayrah,_ Dina thought to her vivosaur. _If he does try that again I'll smack him myself. Besides, I don't think he can be that cold. His dad_ is _a CEO of a big company; he's probably got a lot of pressure weighing on his shoulders, not to mention all those fangirls. He's around my age, so I think he's just stressed out. I'm sure he'll be nicer once he's calmed down._

 _That's no excuse for him to act like a prat,_ Mayrah huffed.

She spotted Todd with Rupert and walked over to them. Todd was in the middle of challenging the child prodigy to a battle when she caught up, and she managed to catch the last bit of what Rupert was saying.

"...I don't have time to waste on the likes of you," Rupert spat. He turned to Dina, a brow raised as he spoke to her, "'Let's have fun'? 'Excited feeling'? Such disgusting treacle is enough to make my porridge come up! Frankly. I abhor having to associate with Fighters such as him. Can you believe your friend right now, Dina?"

Dina shrugged and stood beside Todd, refusing to leave him alone with the rich boy.

"Your loyalty is admirable, but you really should know when to stop your friend," Rupert said to her. "He's making a fool of himself." Dina gently tugged on Todd's shirt and he shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you want us to go back and leave him alone," he said. "But I want that battle."

"I think you should listen to Dina," Rupert stated. "She clearly has more sense than you, though I'm quite sure she can speak for herself." He looked to her. Dina glanced between him and Todd and took a step back, looking away from them.

"Hey, be nice!" Todd snapped, reaching over to pat Dina on the back. "She's nervous, okay?"

"Nervous or not, she can still speak," Rupert huffed. "Well? Come on then, Dina, no need to be shy about your opinion. I'm curious to hear what you have to say." When Dina didn't answer he frowned, his gaze growing colder. "What's wrong with you?"

"Don't speak to her like that!" Todd snapped, stepping in front of his childhood friend. "Battle me and we'll leave you alone!"

"Fine, if it will keep you from stalking me in the future," he muttered. His Raja made short work of Todd's Stego, sadly. Rupert then gave them a quick lecture about type advantages and disadvantages. He then turned back to Dina.

"Now that that mess is over, I will take my leave," he hissed. "It was nice chatting with you." He gasped and scrambled back as Todd aimed a punch at him, only missing the prodigy because Dina had grabbed him and pulled him back, her eyes wide.

" _Shut the hell up_!" Todd roared at him. "She's not saying anything because she can't! Dina's _mute_!"

After apologizing profusely to Dina, Rupert had decided it was best for him to head back to the Fossil Station. Todd was still furious and had begun pacing, grumbling to himself.

"That's it, Dina!" He stopped and looked at her, his blue eyes blazing in determination. "We have to win our way through the Cup together! We have to take down that Rupert jerk, no matter what!" Dina giggled silently.

[I think I already vowed to do that,] she signed to him. [Hopefully you'll get to do that too, though.]

It seemed, however, fate had other plans for them. Their Paleopagers then announced that Round 1 would be starting and Todd and Dina would be fighting each other. The two friends stared at each other in dismay.

[Well that puts a dent into that plan,] Dina tried to joke. Todd forced a smile.

"I was hoping to face you in the final," he admitted. "Stupid computer! Well, there's nothing we can do about it. We'll have to fight as hard as we can. Until our Round 1 match is done, I'm going to think of you as an enemy! I'm going to Fossil Battle you hard! I mean, crazy hard!"

[Todd, that sounded a little wrong,] Dina signed. The two giggled for a moment before they raced away to the Fossil Stadium.


	3. Monster in the Jungle

_It doesn't feel right using you,_ Dina thought to Peak. _Especially since Rupert uses a Raja like you._

 _Hush now, Dina,_ Peak laughed. _Todd knows you're not Rupert and it's only fair that you use a type advantage. He'll understand, I know he will. Now let's win this battle!_ Dina let out a sigh, knowing that there would be no persuading him otherwise. She stepped into the common room, signing a quick 'good luck' to Todd.

"Don't wish me good luck, silly," Todd tried to keep a serious face. "I'm your enemy! You better not go easy on me!" Dina nodded and the two walked into the stadium together.

Todd sent out his Stego and Goyle. Spike stood at the front of Dina's team, lips curled back in a toothy grin. A single bite took out Todd's Stego. Todd's shoulders were already slumped in defeat, but he refused to go down without a fight. His goyle slammed into Riptide with a critical hit and hung on with a sliver of health after Peak bit into it. It tried to go for Riptide again, but Peak sent it back into a Dino Medal it before it could get close. He let out a triumphant roar, the others quickly joining in as the crowd went wild.

Dina and Todd met up in the lobby after the battle.

"Well you got me," Todd sighed. "You know what, I don't feel all that bad about it. I mean, sure, I'm disappointed that I lost, but I got to take you on in a Fossil Battle, and it was really fun! Ok, Dina! Feast your eyes on your new cheerleader!"

[You don't have to do that, Todd,] Dina laughed silently.

"I want to," he replied. "Until the Cup ends, I'm gonna be president and CEO of the Dina fan club! You're my champ now, so I'm entrusting you with my dream!" The two hugged briefly, grinning from ear to ear.

"I do not know what to make of the two of you." They turned as Rupert approached, a confused frown upon his lips. "You just faced each other in battle, and yet now you laugh about it?"

"You don't get it." Todd crossed his arms over his chest. "We just shared an awesome battle together!" Dina nodded to her friend and forced a smile to Rupert.

[Like I said-er signed-earlier; there's more to battles than just winning,] she signed. [You can enjoy them, defeat or not.] Rupert still seemed confused.

"So you are satisfied with defeat then?" he asked Todd. "It doesn't gnaw at your soul like a rabid badger? You are a...strange person."

[Like you're any better mr 'I don't have fun but still participate in Fossil Battles',] Dina let out a huff. [He never said he was satisfied with it, but Todd isn't the kind of person to hold a grudge over a loss, especially if the person he lost to is his best friend. You don't need to be such a prat about it. We get it; you don't like fun. There's no need for you to ruin ours.]

"Yes, well, excuse me," Rupert sputtered and turned away. "I have important things to do with my time." He quickly walked away.

"What is with that guy!?" Todd exclaimed, stomping his foot against the ground. "It's not like we asked his opinion or anything!"

 _Methinks the rich boy might fancy Dina,_ Peak snickered.

 _Say that again and I'll bite your tail off,_ Mayrah snapped. _Dina does not need to be with someone like that brat._

 _Please don't fight you two,_ Riptide said.

[Don't worry, Todd,] Dina signed, ignoring her vivosaurs. [I'll defeat him one way or another.]

"All right, Dina," Todd said, nodding to her. "I'm going to cheer you on like I've never cheered before! You absolutely, positively have to make that arrogant jerk eat his words! I'm counting on you!"

[I will, I promise,] Dina replied. [Come on, let's go get some rest. We've had a long day.]

The next morning the two had a quick breakfast and shared an excited chat about what they would do next. They had received a message that a new dig site had been opened overnight and decided to head down to it to dig up some new fossils.

Dina made her way into the Jungle Labyrinth and found an old man laying on the ground, mumbling about how hungry he was. He begged her to find a melon spud and Dina had very little choice but to agree. She dug up the melon spud and gave it to the man. The man leaped to his feet and introduced himself as Professor Nigel Scatterly.

"I'd come here in search of the Calio Slablets, but somehow managed to get hopelessly lost," he said. "Also, I forgot my lunch on the counter when I left this morning, so it's quite good that you came along!"

[Calio Slablets?] Dina signed in confusion.

"Calio Slablets, you see, are a curious set of tablets hewn from Dinosaur bones," the professor explained. "I discovered one of these tablets a fair while back and found it contained a history of these islands. This tablet claimed that the long-lost Kingdom of Caliosteo actually existed on this very spot! Can you imagine? I also determined that this ancient kingdom was led by a mighty ruler named Zongazonga…" He continued to talk about the lost kingdom for some time. He then picked up another slablet on his special sonar and asked her to dig it up for him.

 _Oh, dear, this man is forgetful,_ Riptide observed. _I do hope he stays safe._

 _I'm sure he'll be fine,_ Mayrah said. _Maybe._

The professor then read from the tablet and left. Dina shook her head and looked around for some new fossils.

She walked deeper into the jungle where she ran into Todd. He informed her that there were rumors of rare fossil rocks deeper in the jungle and offered to go digging with her. They were stopped in their tracks, however, when a terrified shriek rang out. Two Fighters raced by, screaming about some sort of monster. They didn't give much of-if any-explanation as to what the monster was. A man in some sort of Elvis costume walked over to them.

"I'd avoid goin' any deeper into this ol' jungle unless you wanna get yourself hurt, unh-hunh," he told them. "Fossil rocks don't mean nothin' if some monster gets to chewin' on you." He walked away.

"Hey, Dina, how about we call it a day?" Todd squeaked. "I mean, it's not because I'm scared or anything! My vivosaur could stomp that monster into a pancake! But there's probably tons of good fossil rocks right here!"

[You can stay here if you want,] Dina signed. [But I want to find out what this monster business is all about. I don't believe in monsters and I think there's something fishy going on around here.]

She walked away and Todd tried to follow, but he then stopped and complained about his stomach. Dina rolled her eyes and kept walking. Eventually, Todd did catch up to her and tried to convince her to stop. Dina wasn't having any of it and kept walking, only stopping as the ferns nearby rustled.

"What's that!?" Todd darted behind her. "Who's there!? J-just the wind, I bet. Yeah, that's it. It's just the wind. Or a wild boar. That would be ok, too."

[Todd, a wild boar would kill us,] Dina pointed out. [Besides there's no boars on this island. It might be another rogue vivosaur like that Allo.] She looked around and a girl in a mask leaped out from behind the ferns. Todd immediately shrieked and ran.

"Did he just call me a monster?" The girl put her hands on her hips. "'Cause that's kind of insulting. I don't know if you noticed, but I happen to be amazingly beautiful and charming."

 _I don't know about that,_ Peak said. _Seems pretty monstrous to me._

 _I think she's pretty!_ Riptide replied.

 _Of course you do, you think everything is pretty._ Peak rolled his eyes mentally.

 _Stop it,_ Dina thought to him. She signed to the girl, [Sorry about him, he's sort of easily scared.] The girl stared at her for a moment.

"I haven't the slightest clue what you're trying to say," She said. "But you're that girl that Rupert's into, aren't you?" Dina shook her head, cheeks turning red.

[I don't think he's into me,] she signed frantically. [He just did that for the camera.]

"Again, I don't understand sign language." The girl shrugged. "Anyway, _I'm_ the girl who's going to win the Caliosteo Cup and be the biggest teen idol in the world...I'm Pauleen! Why are you staring at me like that? Is it the mask? It's the mask, right? Look, there's a very good reason I can't take this mask off. But trust me, I am totally beautiful underneath it. People faint when I walk by. I'm serious."

 _I bet she's ugly under it and she wears that mask so people don't turn to stone when they look at her,_ Peak sniggered. Dina, Mayrah and Riptide snapped at him to hush.

"You're a Fighter too, right?" Pauleen asked. Dina nodded. "Well then, you should introduce yourself. It's only fair, you know."

There was an awkward silence between the two.

"Oh, crap! I'm so sorry!" Pauleen quickly realized her mistake. "You can't speak, can you? Uh...here, use this stick!" She handed Dina a twig and Dina wrote her name in the dirt with it. Pauleen nodded and continued, "Yes, well, it must be a real thrill for you to finally meet me, right Dina? So enough about you. Did you hear about the monster that's running around the jungle? Well, I'm going to fight it, and I'm going to win. Oh, hey. I just had a great idea. You should come along, Dina. That way you can see how awesome I am and then tell everyone about your new favorite teen-idol Fighter!"

 _She's almost as bad as Rupert,_ Riptide sighed. _Just not a huge jerk._

 _If you want my opinion, I think I prefer Rupert,_ Dina admitted. _He's a jerk, but I don't think that's entirely his fault. I think he's sort of sad too; I've never seen him talk to anyone except for reporters. I don't think he has any friends._

 _He probably doesn't have any friends because he's a spoiled little brat,_ Mayrah huffed. _I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to buy your friendship later._

 _Enough about Rupert,_ Riptide said. _Let's talk about Pauleen! She seems really confident in herself._

 _That mask she wears is weird and stupid,_ Peak added. _If she's really so beautiful she shouldn't wear it. Ooh, I bet she's got some horrible scar that she's trying to hide!_

 _Gossip won't do us any good, you two,_ Mayrah scolded them. _Don't try to start any rumors either. Let Pauleen be who she is._

The two humans continued on through the jungle. They stopped in the deepest part of the jungle and were about to leave after seeing nothing when a deafening roar sounded around them. From the bushes burst a very obvious fake monster made of cardboard boxes and old tires. Before their eyes it blew up and the two Fighters that had run away earlier rushed over. Dina and Pauleen quickly found out what was going on.

Apparently the two had built the 'monster' themselves to scare away fighters so they could take all the fossil rocks.

"Well, you two have found out our little secret." Jerry took a threatening step forward, reaching into his pocket. "And we can't be having any of that."

"I'll take this guy and you take the other one, Dina!" Pauleen said. "I will not tolerate anyone threatening me!" Dina nodded in agreement and took out her dino medals. Both of Jerry's vivosaurs were air types, so she sent out Peak at the front. His Nycto started pecking at Riptide. Peak defended him by grabbing it in his jaws and tossing it away and reverting it back into a Dino Medal. Jerry's Anamolo suffered the same fate as the Nycto.

 _Why does everyone go after me?_ Riptide whined as he went back into Dino Medal form.

 _Because you're soft and were at a type disadvantage,_ Peak answered.

"Th-they're too tough!" Lee yelped. Jerry snarled and pulled out a pocket knife. Dina took a terrified step back, eyes wide. Pauleen's grin faded and she too took a step back. Stella, however, came to the rescue. She raced in, punching Jerry in the face, effectively knocking him unconscious. The two kids quickly explained the situation and Stella turned to the two Fighters.

"Seize them!" She ordered her staff members. She looked back to Dina and Pauleen. "You have Todd to thank for my being here. He came running to me in a panic, wailing about how some monster was going to swallow you whole."

 _My hero,_ Dina thought.

 _At least he got help,_ Riptide pointed out. _That scary man might have hurt you if Stella didn't show up!_

 _My jaws would have been around his neck if he tried,_ Mayrah snarled.

"I was expecting some kind of trouble," Stella continued. "But...well, not this. Still, Fighters are now free to dig for fossil rocks here, so I suppose it all turned out alright. We owe the two of you our thanks." She headed back with the staff members

"Hey, so thanks for helping me out, Dina," Pauleen said. "You're pretty good at this. Not as good as me, of course, but pretty good."

"Dina, you're alive!" Todd came barrelling through the ferns and trees and tackled Dina into a hug. Dina stumbled back, barely able to stop herself from falling. Todd then finally seemed to notice Pauleen and started panicking.

"Stop calling me a monster!" She snapped at him. "I'm a teen idol! And a Fighter! And my name is Pauleen! So if you ever call me a monster again I'll knock you out!"

"Well if you don't want to be called a monster, you shouldn't wear a mask!" Todd shot back. Why don't you take it off?" Pauleen took a step back and shook her head.

"Nope!" She protested. "Sorry. Can't do it." Todd took a few steps towards her.

"So we're supposed to trust that you're a beautiful teenager? Whatever!" Dina reached out and pulled Todd back, shaking her head.

[Leave her alone, Todd, she helped me,] she signed to him. Pauleen turned and hurried away. Todd huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What kind of weirdo wears a mask for personal reasons?" he asked. Round 2 of the Cup was announced.

Dina hurried to the Fighter Station. She entered the Common Room and started to sign a 'hello' to Rockin' Billy, but he interrupted her.

"Why'd you have to go and blow up that monster!?" He spat at her. Dina stepped back, eyes wide in surprise as he continued, "I had a plan to take all them rare fossils, and now it's ruined! Yeah, that's right. I'm in cahoots with them two boys that ended up coolin' their heels in the hoosegow."

 _What in the hell is he saying?_ Peak asked.

 _Peak! Language!_ Mayrah scolded.

 _I agree that Peak needs to stop using bad language, but seriously, what_ is _he saying?_ Riptide said.

 _He was working with those two in the jungle,_ Dina thought to them. _He wants revenge._

They entered the fossil stadium and it turned out that Rockin' Billy actually had a decent team; a water and two earth vivosaurs. Peak insisted upon staying in front.

 _Another Raja, huh?_ Peak grinned. _This'll be fun._

Peak used bit into the Nigo, hitting it with a critical hit and slamming it to the ground, leaving it stunned. Rockin' Billy's Raja bit into Riptide's frill frill. Peak snarled and bit into it, dragging it away from Riptide. Rockin' Billy's Parapu used a Bewilder Beam on Riptide, confusing him. Riptide, confused, used charged into it and knocked it back. Rockin' Billy's Raja then tried to bite Riptide, but Riptide charged out of the way and into the Nigo, defeating it with a critical hit.

Peak took out the Raja and Mayrah took the lead. The Parapu used Bewilder Beam on Riptide again, defeating him this time. Mayrah and Peak worked together to take it out.

After the battle, Stella arrested Rockin' Billy and took him away. She congratulated Dina on the win and informed her that Rockin' Billy would be banished from the island and gave her a new fossil rock. Todd was next to rush over, hugging her tightly.

"Way to go, Dina!" he laughed. "I know you can do this! I'm counting on you!" They turned as they heard the crowd within the stadium going wild. Apparently, Pauleen had won her match as well. She stepped out of the Common Room, head held high. She spotted the two and ran over.

"So, Dina!" She grinned behind her mask. "Sounds like you got through Round 2 as well. Of course, you didn't win as fast as I did. Or with as much panache...but congratulations anyway! Don't get any crazy ideas about winning, though, because I'm going to be the champ. The most beautiful champion there ever was! Oh, and humble, too."

 _If she ever becomes humble I'll eat my tail,_ Peak huffed.

 _For once I actually agree with you on this one,_ Mayrah sighed. _She really is full of herself._

 _But confidence is good!_ Riptide protested.

 _There is such thing as too much confidence, dear,_ Mayrah replied. _Pauleen's a solid case of it from the looks of things._

"Cram it, sister!" Todd snapped. "My friend, Dina, isn't going to lose to some braggart like you! And if you're so pretty, you should take off your mask and prove it!"

[Todd!] Dina signed. [We've been over this; leave her alone!] Pauleen made a quick excuse about signing autographs before running away.

"She's not going to take off that mask, is she?" Todd turned to Dina, who shook her head. "You know what? I don't think she's pretty at all. In fact, I bet she's a total woofer under that thing!"

[ _Todd!_ ] Dina signed furiously. [Stop it!]

Todd laughed and said a quick 'good night' to her before heading off to bed. Dina shook her head and headed to the cleaning room to clean her fossils before she headed to bed as well.


	4. A Rogue Robot

In the morning Dina received a message on the Paleopager that a new dig site had opened up on Cranial Island and helicopter flights there were open. Todd had already gone on ahead, so she would be going with either a stranger or by herself. She wasn't sure which sounded worse. She ended up riding alone, but her vivosaurs kept her company so she couldn't really complain.

Dina was greeted by Terry, the Staff Leader of Cranial City when she stepped off the helicopter, who told her about the upgrades to the VMM before heading off.

She spotted Professor Scatterly and walked over to him, signing a quick greeting.

"Good heavens if it isn't Dina!" The professor grinned. He showed her around for a bit before taking her to his museum. She looked over at the Calio Slablets. There were two empty spaces, one in between the first and third and a fourth one at the end where she figured the last two would go once found. The professor wished her luck and Dina headed out to the new dig site.

The entrance to the volcanic dig site was a very high up and narrow path. With each step she tested the ground in front of her, terrified that she would fall or the ground would crumble if she took one wrong step. Once she reached a wider area she was able to relax. She spotted Todd and rushed over to him.

"Hey, Dina," he greeted her with a huge grin on his face. "I was hoping you'd catch up. Now we can explore this dig site together!"

"I knew you were here by the way the air suddenly filled with high-pitched squeals of delight." Dina already had a pretty good clue as to who was speaking from the accent and the way Mayrah was growling in her mind.

[Hello, Rupert,] she greeted as she turned to the prodigy. Behind him floated a purple robot.

"You here to dig?" Todd asked him, voice dripping with venom.

"Please, do not sully me with such accusations," Rupert scoffed, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "My vivosaurs are already skilled enough to win Round 3 with little trouble. No, I simply came here to run some field tests on a new product. This is Di66-r, an automated excavation took recently developed by FossilDig, Inc." He stepped aside and held his head high in pride. The robot floated towards Dina.

"Good day, sir or madam," it greeted. "I am Di66-R."

"This robot contains built-in sonar and has the ability to locate and excavate fossil rocks automatically," Rupert explained. "It is an important product for our company, which is why my father asked me to perform the field test. The sales potential of Di66-R is almost limitless. When fighters see what it can do-" He broke off as sparks flew off the robot and it started sputtering and twitching.

"That doesn't look good," Todd sniggered. Dina elbowed him in the side as Rupert examined the robot.

"Oh, what now?" He muttered. He yelped as the robot knocked him to the ground and took off. "That idiot robot just ran off with my Dino Medals!" Dina rushed over and helped Rupert back to his feet. He winced and almost fell over again. She held him up, but there was clearly something wrong.

"Hey, don't try to move!" Todd rushed to his side as well and made him sit back down. "You took a real pounding there."

"Don't you see?" Rupert hissed as he tried to get back up, cringing slightly. "If Di66-R starts randomly battling strangers with my vivosaurs, there will be chaos! The reputation of my father's company would be stained forever! I have to…I must…"

[I'll stop it,] Dina signed, kneeling down in front of him. Rupert shook his head, face pale.

"You can't! You won't be able to-"

[Don't worry about what I can and can't do, Rupert,] She interrupted him. [I can handle this. You're clearly injured and you won't be doing yourself any favors by making it worse. Besides, how do you expect to stop it without any Dino Medals anyway?]

Rupert looked up at Todd, as if expecting him to intervene and talk some sense into Dina. Todd shook his head and shrugged.

"Once she's decided on something you can't stop her," he said. "Don't worry, Dina, I'll stay here with Rupert to make sure he doesn't hurt himself. You chase down that robot!"

"Fine, but be careful," Rupert sighed. "My team is no pushover."

[Neither is mine.] Dina smiled and hurried away. Or at least, tried to. The giant bridge over a chasm made her freeze up for a moment.

"Is she okay?" Rupert asked. Todd looked over at her and frowned.

"Dina's not the biggest fan of heights," he explained. "At least, not since that Allo almost made us fall off cliff."

"An Allosaurus did _what_!?" Rupert exclaimed in horror. Todd ignored him.

"Come on, Dina," he called to his friend. "Just focus! You can do it, just keep your eyes ahead of you and don't think about the bridge breaking!"

"I don't think that's helping her, you twat," Rupert smacked Todd on the leg. "I think you're making it worse, actually. Dina, if you don't stop that robot I will personally come after you and give you a five hour lecture about it!" Dina glanced back at the two and forced a smile before moving forward.

She tried to avoid looking at the waterfalls of lava flowing around her and tried to ignore how thin the land bridge she was standing on seemed to be. Rupert seemed to have set up a full team of neutral vivosaurs on the robot, so she sent Mayrah out as the lead. Mayrah went after the Tophis first, slamming her foot down on its tail. The Krypto bit into Mayrah, dragging her away from the Tophis. Mayrah shot a Wind Blast to the Brachio since it was the closest vivosaur to her. The Brachio held its ground and glared at her. The Tophis sank its fangs into Mayrah as she defeated the Brachio. Riptide slammed into the Tophis, knocking it off Mayrah. The Tophis, however, was determined to take her out. It and the Krypto both bit down on her. Mayrah took the Tophis out with a critical hit before the Krypto sent her back into her Dino Medal.

Riptide took her place in the lead and rammed into the Krypto, hitting it with a critical. The Krypto fell to the ground, shaking it like an earthquake before turning back into a medal. Dina was knocked off balance by the shaking and she fell, grabbing onto the ledge. She tried to pull herself back up, but she was too exhausted from the Fossil Battle to do anything but hold on.

"Dina!" She heard Todd and Rupert call out to her as they raced up the path. Rupert was there first, grabbing onto her and pulling her back up to safety. She clung to him, burying her face in his chest and beginning to sob, her body trembling in terror. Todd knelt beside her, his eyes wide.

"What were you thinking!?" Rupert scolded her. "This is exactly why I told you not to go! I could have dealt with this myself!"

"No, you couldn't," Todd huffed. "And knock it off, will you? She almost _died_! And she's so terrified she's crying! She doesn't need you yelling at her!" Rupert's shoulders slumped and he slowly stood up, pulling Dina with him. She refused to let go of him, still shaking far too much to stand on her own. Rupert held her up, looking over at the robot.

"Still, I suppose you did save my father's company from complete financial ruin," he sighed. "When we launch Di66-R, I shall see to it that you receive the very first one." Dina looked up at him and shook her head.

"That thing almost killed her!" Todd snapped. "Why would she want it!?" Rupert cast him a glare.

"This is what field tests are for," he said. "With proper modifications, it will never do such a thing again."

"And you know what, it's highly unlikely she'll get into another car wreck like the one she was in when she was a kid but that doesn't make her any less scared of cars-" Todd immediately shut his mouth and turned away, face pale. Rupert frowned and turned back to her.

"Car wreck? Is that how you…?" When Dina didn't answer he shook his head. "Nevermind. You will accept one, won't you?" Dina shook her head in response. She refused to let go of Rupert, so signing wasn't an option at the moment. Rupert gently pulled her farther from the edge just in case.

"Why not? I know this was probably a terrifying experience but…" His frown deepened.

"For a smart guy, you're really kind of dumb, you know that?" Todd blurted. "'Probably'!? Again, _she almost died_!" Peak burst out laughing and Mayrah scolded him. Rupert glared at Todd, but glanced down at Dina before saying anything. When she didn't sign anything to Todd, he decided that it wasn't worth arguing with the boy.

"We should get back," He said to her. "My leg's beginning to ache again and I don't know if you want to stay here after what just happened. You're probably exhausted."

"I know I am," Todd yawned.

"I wasn't talking to you," Rupert spat at him. Dina gently tugged Rupert's sleeve to get his attention. She mouthed a quick 'let's go back to the city' to him. He nodded, beginning to lead her away.

"Keep your eyes on me," he told her as they headed down the narrow paths. "I won't let you fall, I promise. I caught you last time, didn't I?" Todd followed them, muttering under his breath and mocking Rupert quietly.

They made it back to Cranial City, but Dina was still clinging to Rupert. He sighed and picked her up.

"I'll take her to her room. You do whatever you want." He started to walk away. Todd let out a cry of protest and chased after him.

"Hey, she's _my_ friend!" He tried to block Rupert's path, but the prodigy easily walked around him.

"And I saved her from falling to her death because you were too slow," he reminded Todd. "Besides, it's me she's clinging to, not you." Todd puffed out his cheeks in anger.

"Dina, tell him!" He looked to his friend for a little help, but Dina wasn't in the mindset to answer. Todd finally gave up and walked away, glaring at Rupert.

~...~

"Will you tell me why you don't want a Di66-R?" He asked as he gently set her down on her bed, wrapping the blanket around her. Dina stared at him blankly for a moment before she began to sign an answer.

[It's a lot more fun if we dug up the fossils ourselves,] she explained. [We feel closer to our vivosaurs if we dig them up and revive them all on our own. Yes, your robot will make it easier, but it will also take away the fun of it all and the bond a Fighter will have with their Vivosaur might not be as strong.]

Rupert remained quiet as he processed what she said.

"It's fun…?" He murmured. He shook his head. "I'd better leave you to rest. Good bye, Dina. Thank you for the help."

[Thank you for saving me,] she replied. [I'm sorry for almost falling like that.] Rupert stared at her, bewildered.

"Wh-why are you apologizing for that?" he sputtered. "If anything that's my fault. Just get some rest. You clearly need it."

[Are you alright?] She asked, avoiding his first question. He glanced down at his leg and nodded.

"It was just a little twisted," he said quickly. "It feels much better now. Good bye." He headed out of her room and to his own. Dina lay down, resting her head on the pillow.

 _I guess Rupert really does have a heart,_ Riptide stated. _That was very sweet of him to help you._

 _He's just a little reserved,_ Dina thought back to him. _I'll break him out of his shell eventually._

The next morning she woke and headed outside. She overheard a couple of people talking about how the Mammoth Vision video screen had been stolen and frown.

 _If it's not one thing it's another,_ Mayrah sighed in annoyance. _Honestly this whole competition is more trouble than it's worth, I'm telling you. Dear, I know you've vowed to defeat Rupert, but technically yesterday you did so why don't we just drop out and go home?_

 _Except that wasn't him I was fighting,_ Dina pointed out. _Todd won't let me quit. He'd pitch a fit if I tried. Besides, that wasn't Rupert's real team; his Raja and Mapo weren't on it. Rupert's not the kind of Fighter to use three vivosaurs of the same element on his team. That was probably just a test team for the robot to use._

The Mammoth Vision appeared in front of everyone and a man with a skull for a face showed up on it. He told them he was going to destroy the Cup and had started by blocking the path to the dig site. Dina wasn't able to hear everything because the people around her were chatting with one another a little too loudly.

Todd rushed to Dina's side, skidding to a halt.

"Did you see that, Dina!?" He gasped for breath. "It was Don Boneyard, the leader of the BareBones Brigade! Those guys are the biggest, baddest crime syndicate around! What the heck is going on here!?"

[I'm pretty sure he just announced he's going to stop the Cup,] Dina replied. [and he's sealed off the dig site. We have to go there and break that rock.]

"You really think you can do it?" Todd's eyes widened. "But-I mean-what about yesterday? You had a panic attack! You almost died! What if the BareBones Brigade…? I-I can't...I don't think I could-"

[Before your stomach starts hurting; I'm going alone anyway,] She signed. [Don't worry, I can handle myself. Yesterday doesn't mean anything now. Yes, I'm still scared, but I can't just stand by and do nothing. I'm going and you can't stop me.]

She immediately took off running. Todd shouted at her to come back, but she refused to listen.

 _Dina, what are you doing?_ Riptide asked. _I really don't think it's a good idea to do this._

 _Something weird is going on here,_ Dina replied. _And I'm getting to the bottom of it. Even if it kills me._


	5. The Threat to the Cup

When Dina entered the dig site, she wasn't able to get very far. A massive boulder was blocking the narrow path, and it would be far too dangerous for anyone to climb over it. She tried hitting it with her pickaxe, but the boulder seemed unbreakable. Todd rushed over to her moments later, his eyes widening as he stared at the boulder..

"Wow, that's a big rock," he said. Dina tried to hit it a couple more times and Todd frowned. "I mean, you're good and all but this whole thing's on a different level." Todd watched her before he let out a sigh and took out his pickaxe and joined her.

"At this rate, we'll all be old and wrinkled before that boulder is gone," Rupert stated as he walked over, Di66-R floating beside him. Dina cast him a confused look. "Todd was running around wailing about you running off to fight the BareBones Brigade. I went to get Di66-R and he was gone before I could ask what exactly was happening. Stand aside. Di66-R, please remove this boulder."

Dina carefully made her way over to stand beside Todd. It took only a moment for him to realize she was probably still terrified of the dig site. He pulled over so she was standing in front of him and away from the edge as the robot began to claw at the boulder.

"Holy smokes!" Todd exclaimed. "Look at that thing go!" Unfortunately, the robot began to run out of power. Dina frowned and shakily walked over, taking out her pickaxe and starting to chip away at the remains of the rock.

"Dina-" Rupert started.

"Be careful, Dina!" Todd interrupted him. "Remember last time?" Dina flinched and Rupert kicked Todd in the leg.

"Stop that!" He snapped. The robot paused and turned to Dina.

"Does sir or madam wish to assist Di66-R?" It asked. Dina nodded to it. The robot seemed confused. "No one has ever assisted Di66-R with digging before. Now I know why it is that you humans smile. Energy fully restored! Digging program initiated!" The robot returned to its digging as Dina helped it. Soon the boulder was reduced to rubble and the path was cleared. Dina immediately rushed back to the safety of the middle of the path to stand with her friends.

"You did it, Dina!" Todd beamed and hugged her. Rupert stared at them for a long moment before he walked to his robot.

"Excellent job, Di66-R," he said to it. "You have made me very proud. You did good too, Dina. Whoever put this boulder here must still be in the area. I'm going to look for them." He walked away with his robot. Dina frowned and looked to Todd, who shrugged in response.

"Well, I guess people can get back to digging at Mt. Krakanak, huh?" he asked. "I still think we should wait at the City, but I know you won't do that. You want to go help Rupert, don't you?" She nodded and he let out a long whine.

[You don't have to go, Todd,] she signed to him. [I just don't want Rupert fighting them alone. What if he falls?]

"Oh, alright, I'll help you-ow! M-my stomach!" Todd whined and bended over, clutching his stomach as usual.

 _That was to be expected,_ Mayrah huffed. _Always has a stomachache when the road gets bumpy. Don't worry about the height, dear, Rupert needs you. Just keep reminding yourself that._

 _He'd never admit that himself, though,_ Dina laughed.

 _The poor kid probably doesn't even have any friends,_ Riptide said.

 _Whether he likes it or not,_ I'm _his friend now,_ Dina replied. _And I won't let my friend fight the BareBones Brigade alone._

She raced up the path, skidding to a stop as she spotted Rupert.

"Dina!?" Rupert's eyes widened in surprise. "Be still my heart...What are you doing up here? It isn't safe."

[Helping you,] Dina answered. [I won't let you fight them alone. We need to be here for each other in case...in case one of us falls.]

Rupert let out a long, slow sigh. "I won't let you fall again," he said softly. "I swear on my life. In any case, it seems that our hooligan friends rolled the boulder from up there. I've spotted a few unpleasant types skulking about, and I've little doubt they're with the BareBones Brigade." He raised a brow as he noticed Dina's shoulder shake with a giggle at the 'skulking' pun.

[Let's go kick some bony ass!] She grinned and ran on ahead, leaving Rupert stunned and jaw dropped behind her.

"D-Dina, language!" He shouted after her as he raced to catch up. "It's not befitting for a lady like you to use such profanity.

[There's a lot more where that came from, Rupert,] Dina signed back to him. [Anyway, we need to focus on those guys.] She pointed to a couple of men in skeleton themed suits talking about the boulder.

"Your boulder has been reduced to rubble," Rupert announced as he stepped forward, head held high. Dina stood beside him, staring at the two with a fierce glare.

"How did you destroy our beautiful boulder!?" One cried out in dismay. His friend was more furious than anything.

"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter, rich boy!" he spat. "Our boneysaurs are gonna make you pay!" Dina and Rupert shared a confused look.

"Think you can handle that one, Dina?" Rupert asked. She nodded and he turned back to the grunt in front of him. All three of the grunts vivosaurs were air types. As he released the Boneysaurs, Dina froze up in fear. She couldn't send any commands to her vivosaurs.

His first boneysaur slammed into Peak, who sank his teeth into its back. The boneysaurs were obviously very powerful, and that certainly didn't help Dina's mental state at all. She took a step back, face pale as the boneysaur defeated Peak. Mayrah slammed his tail into it, knocking it into the back wall and sending it back into a Dino Medal. Rupert noticed Dina was struggling. He tried to hurry to her side, but the Boneysaurs blocked him.

"Snap out of it, Dina!" he called to her. If Dina heard him over the sound of the battles, she gave no sign of it.

"Little brat's scared!" The grunt battling Dina laughed. "Look at her face!"

The Boneysaurs slammed into Mayrah. She fought back, defeating it within seconds. The final Boneysaur sent her back into her Dino Medal, leaving Riptide by himself.

The two fought fiercely, but the type combination was not working in Dina's favor. Riptide fell back into his Dino Medal and the Boneysaur let out a triumphant roar.

"Now to get rid of you." The grunt walked over, grabbing Dina by her collar. "I wonder what's the best way? Throwing you into the lava? Or the cliff?" Dina kicked and struggled, desperately trying to get free. Her vivosaurs were unconscious in Dino Medal form, unable to help, and would be for a few more minutes as they regained their health.

"Get away from her, you filthy bastard!" Rupert slammed into the grunt, sending him tumbling away. He yelped and dropped Dina. She hit the ground with a muffled 'thud' and lay there, dazed. Rupert stumbled for a moment before regaining his balance. He turned and rushed to her side, helping her to her feet.

"Dina? Dina, answer me, are you alright?" he asked quickly. She nodded to him briefly.

[Thanks for saving me. Again.] she signed.

"You little brat!" The grunt scrambled to his feet. His friend had supposedly fled. Rupert turned to him, eyes narrowed in fury.

" _How dare you_?" He growled. "How dare you come into this tournament and try to stop it? How dare you use unnatural vivosaurs? _How dare you try to murder someone_!?"

"Oh, so she means something to you, does she?" The grunt chuckled.

"N-no," Rupert sputtered. "She assisted me with an issue once. I owed her for that, and now I've repaid her. That does not mean you can just waltz in and try to murder her!" The grunt took a threatening step forward and Rupert immediately put himself between Dina and the grunt, gripping his dino medals.

Before anyone could send a single vivosaur out, however, a furious roar rang out above them. From the cliffs above a Machai leaped down and landed in front of them, growling and snarling. The three humans froze, eyes wide in shock.

"What the hell is that thing doing!?" The grunt scrambled back. The Machai glanced back at Dina, eyes gleaming. She reached into her pocket and pulled out Mayrah's and Peak's Dino Medals, tossing them out. The two had quickly recovered from their defeat and were a little more than furious at the BareBones Brigade member.

"Dina?" Rupert glanced back at her questioningly.

[Trust me,] she signed. He hesitated before nodding, stepping out of the way. She took a deep breath to calm herself as the boneysaurs were sent out in front of her. She kept Peak in the front like last time. The Boneysaur slammed into him like last time and again he bit into it. However, this time, the Machai leaped onto the Boneysaur's back to join in. The Boneysaur roared and shook, desperate to take it out. Peak bit down harder and the Machai refused to let go. The Boneysaur shook the Machai off and slammed her into the ground, sending her back into Dino Medal form. Peak and Mayrah both bit down on the first Boneysaur, defeating it. The Boneysaurs went after Mayrah furiously, kicking and hitting her with their tails. Peak took out the lead Boneysaur while the final Boneysaur desperately lashed out at Mayrah, defeating her. Peak took it out instantly.

The terrified grunt took a step back, his face pale behind his mask.

"Don't think you're hot stuff for beating up on a couple of lackeys!" The grunt snapped. "Our boss, Don Boneyard, is the meanest dude around! He'll turn your bones to jelly! And he's got three commanders that are almost as strong as he is! They'll beat you so bad, your own mom won't recognize you!" He fled before Rupert could grab either of them. Rupert almost chased after them, but stopped when he noticed Dina was shaking again.

"Dina?" He hurried to her side. "Are you alright? What happened there? Why did that Machai help you?" Dina blinked. She had almost forgotten about the Machai.

[I think it's because she was abandoned,] she answered. [I don't know why she would help me, but I'm glad she did. I think I'll call her Fury.]

"That's a...fitting name," Rupert said nervously. "Are you alright?"

[I'm fine,] she replied. [What were those things?]

"The boneysaurs? I don't know to be quite honest." Rupert let out a long, slow sigh. "Some sort of horrible, bizarre creatures. You're injured!" He grabbed her arm and examined it, frowning.

[I got it when I fell,] she explained, pulling her arm away. [It's just a little scrape, I'll be okay.] They looked up as Todd rushed over.

"Are you guys okay?" He asked. His eyes widened when he saw Rupert and Dina covered in dirt and bruised. "What happened? Did the BareBones Brigade show up?"

"Yes, but it was nothing we weren't able to handle," Rupert said. "They've run home to mummy now."

"Man, I miss all the fun stuff!" Todd whined.

[Only because you feign illness when you get scared,] Dina signed with a small smile. Todd pretended not to see. Rupert turned to Dina.

"Though this pains me some to admit," he started. "That fight was not altogether easy. I'm not sure I could have handled them without your assistance. I owe you my thanks yet again. So then, thank you."

[You've saved me twice now,] Dina replied. [It's only fair.]

"Rupert, you just acted humble!" Todd let out an exaggerated gasp. "Are you feeling alright? And what do you mean he saved you twice?"

"And why would you find it amusing that I offer thanks for a job well done!?" Rupert snapped. "One of the BareBones Brigade members almost killed her!"

" _WHAT_!?" Todd shrieked. "Are you serious!? Dina, tell me he's kidding!"

[He's not,] she signed. [I lost my first battle with them and the grunt grabbed me and threatened to throw me off the cliff or into the lava. Rupert actually slammed into him and made him drop me. Then a Machai jumped down from the cliffs above to protect us.]

"That's crazy!" Todd's mouth was gaping open. "Is the Machai still here?" Dina nodded and held out the Dino Medal. Rupert's phone rang and he quickly answered it.

"Hello, Father," Rupert greeted. "What do you need…? Di66-R's field-test results…? I'm sorry to say that it suffers some fundamental design flaws from a consumer standpoint. Some problems could be overcome with extensive redesigns, but I fear most Fighters will still have little interest. However, I believe it shows great promise as an emergency-assistance robot...yes, Father...I understand, Father…Yes, of course I will win the Cup. Good-bye, Father." He put his phone away.

"Hold on, Rupert," Todd said. "You just said you could launch the robot so long as you made a redesign. Was that a lie?"

"I do not lie," Rupert huffed. "I do believe that Di66-R's technical problems can be overcome given enough time. However, there is a larger issue at play, which is that I do not think anyone will purchase the device. You have shown me that Fighters like to dig as much as they like to battle. They seem to find it...fun." Dina smiled at him and nodded. Todd turned to his friend.

"Come on. Dina, let's get back to Cranial City," he said. "You need to get that scrape bandaged." Dina raised her hands to protest, but Rupert reached over and placed his over them. Mayrah was pitching a fit about that in Dina's mind and the other vivosaurs were trying to calm her.

"Do not even try," he said. "Todd's right for once, you need to get bandaged up." Dina sighed, realizing that there was no use arguing. She walked back with Todd.

 _Is there something wrong with that white haired boy?_ Fury asked. _Aren't you allies?_

 _He was a rude little snob to Dina when they first met,_ Peak explained. _Mayrah's basically Dina's mom now, so she still doesn't like him. He's been slowly getting more friendly._

 _Dina's great at making friends,_ Riptide added. _I think she and Rupert will be as close to each other as Dina is to Todd right now one day._

As they reached the City, the Mammoth Vision hovered above them. Thankfully, it was Joe Wildwest on the screen this time.

"Howdy, fellow Caliosteo Cup Fighters." He was frowning a bit. "Now, ya'll may already know this, but...It seems we're being hassled by a band'a thieves called the BareBones Brigade. They're tellin' us we gotta cancel the Caliosteo Cup and vamoose outta this park once and for all. Well, horsefeathers to that! This here Cup is my dream, and I know it's shared by ya'll! So if they want me to cancel it, they're just gonna have to saddle up and make me! The Caliosteo Cup will never surrender! We'll beat them varmints or my name ain't Joe Wildwest!" The crowd cheered and clapped in agreement. Todd hopped up and down beside Dina.

"Yeah! Get 'em! Saddle up!" He called. Dina smiled at her friend. They received a message that Round 3 of the Cup would be starting soon.

[I'd better go get ready for my next battle,] Dina signed to him. Todd nodded and grinned.

"I'll get to the stands immediately. I'll be cheering you on, so don't you dare hold back!"


	6. Hipster Commander of the BB Brigade

Dina rushed into the Fighter Station, keeping her head held high. She was a little more than determined to win this round, especially knowing that the BareBones Brigade were still out there. She greeted her opponent with a polite nod and stepped into the Stadium.

The girl had a team of all fire elements, so Dina decided to put Riptide in the front. Once the battle had started, he raced forward, slamming into the Berto. Fury ran alongside him, biting into the Berto's leg. The Berto stumbled back and fell to the ground.

The Sungari shot a beam at Fury, sending her skidding back a little. Furious, Riptide charged it next, defeating it instantly. Fury grinned at Riptide and leaped at the Berto, sinking her fangs into its neck and defeating it.

The Yango hit her with its tail, slamming her into the wall and reverting her back to her Dino Medal. Riptide charged into it, ending the battle. The crowd went wild. Dina could spot Todd in the stands cheering and she could have sworn she saw Rupert somewhere in there as well.

Once she returned to the Lobby, Todd hugged her, congratulating her on her victory. Dina laughed silently and returned the embrace

"That was a smoking-hot battle, Dina!" Terry clapped as he walked over to the two, a huge smile on his face. He handed her a giant fossil rock and wished her luck.

Dina swayed a little and Todd squeaked, rushing to hold her up.

"You look tired," he said. "You should head to your room and rest, you've had a really long day." He walked her back to her room before wishing her a good night.

The next morning Dina cleaned the Peloro fossil that she had been given the day before and revived it before heading to the new dig site that had been opened up after her last battle. As she headed up the path, staying as far away from the edge as possible, she spotted a woman and a small dog. Todd rushed over and stood beside her.

"Hey, cool!" He smiled. "That Fighter has a dog! We should go say hi." The two kids walked over to the woman. Dina signed a hello to her while Todd seemed a little more interested in the dog.

"Bonjour," the woman smiled at them politely. "My name is Joanie and zis is Madame Pooch. She is entered with me in ze Cup. You are both Fighters, no?"

"You bet!" Todd answered. "I'm Todd, by the way. This is my best friend, Dina. She can't speak, but she's a great Fighter." Joanie nodded in understanding. She let out a gasp.

"Sacre bleu! I was almost forgetting! I have discovered here a thing which is being quite lovely." She pulled something out of her backpack which was full of fruit. "It is a lovely bowl, no? It is big and round and so I have made with ze filling it with fruit!" She seemed very happy with her discovery.

"She's a little different," Todd whispered to Dina. She elbowed him in the side.

[If you haven't noticed, I don't think anyone in this tournament is normal.] She signed to him.

Madame Pooch pawed at Joanie and barked. Joanie nodded to her and put the bowl away. "Adieu," she said to the two kids, walking away.

Todd and Dina continued down the path. Todd held Dina's hand, trying to comfort her and keep her mind off the long drop beneath them. When they reached the other side of the long rope bridge, Terry greeted them. He told them how to work the gondola and talked to them about the many fossils they could find. The two headed down the gondola, digging up some fossils together. After a few fossil battles, Peak and Riptide gained a rank up. Once they reached the end of the path and got to the ground, Dina spotted something. From the outfit and the hair it was obvious the person was Pauleen.

"Where did it go, digadig…?" She was mumbling to herself and wandering around. "I know it diga-dropped right around here…"

"Do you see that, Dina?" Todd breathed. "That girl...She is _soooo cute_! Come on! We should go help her find whatever she's looking for!"

 _Is he for real right now?_ Peak laughed. _Does he not know that's Pauleen!?_

 _Who is Pauleen?_ Fury asked. _An enemy?_

 _Not really an enemy,_ Mayrah answered. _Not a friend either, to be honest. She's just another human in the tournament that Dina and Todd have met. She usually wears a mask, but she seems to have lost it._

 _I told you guys she was pretty,_ Riptide huffed.

 _Normally I would tell him that's Pauleen,_ Dina said. _But this time I'm just going to let him figure it out for himself._ She nodded to Todd and walked over to Pauleen.

"Hey, are you having trouble, because I can help if you are" he said. Pauleen squeaked and darted behind a large boulder. Todd blinked in surprise. "Hey, wait! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you! We're nice, I promise. Right Dina?" Dina was trying hard not to grin as she nodded.

[As nice as my Tricera,] she signed. [And he's one of the nicest vivosaurs I know,]

 _Oh, stop it, you're making me blush!_ Riptide giggled.

"Look, I'm Todd, and that's Dina." Todd looked back to Pauleen who was still hiding behind the rock. "I wasn't expecting to find a cute girl like you wandering around Rainbow Canyon. Someone must have dropped an angel, because I can see myself in your eyes! Wait, that's not how it goes. I mean, I can see an angel walking around in...no, that's not it..."

 _Skies above, Todd, just shut up before you embarrass yourself further,_ Mayrah sighed.

 _Is he trying to court her?_ Fury asked. _Because if so he's doing a horrid job of it._ Peak was too busy laughing his tail off to say anything and Dina was trying very hard not to laugh herself. Todd, red faced and flustered, shook his head.

"N-never mind!" he squeaked. "What do you need? Are you looking for something?" Pauleen slowly walked out from behind the boulder. She seemed very nervous and even a little insecure.

"Can you..help me, digadig?" she asked softly. Todd nodded, grinning. "I dropped something very important."

"Sure! Yes! Definitely! Absolutely!" he turned to Dina. "We will help, right, Dina?" Dina nodded. "Don't worry, you just stay right there, and we'll be right back with you...um...your...Hey, wait. What are we looking for, anyway?"

"You will know it, diga," Pauleen answered. "It is big and round and helps to protect me."

"Big and round...hey! That sounds like the bowl Joanie found! Ok, we'll go find it! Come on, Dina!" He gently grabbed his friend's hand and began to lead her away. They headed back up the gondola and spotted Joanie and Madame Pooch with the bowl.

"Hey, Joanie!" Todd called. "We need that bowl. A pretty girl down there lost and and she really needs it back."

"Ah, it is a shame," Joanie sighed in disappointment. "We have grown so attached to ze bowl, you see? Very well. We shall return ze bowl…"

"Arf!" Madame Pooch, however, didn't seem very happy with the idea. She growled and barked at Joanie, pawing at her leg. Joanie knelt down, frowning.

"No no, Madame Pooch," she said. "If we do not return ze bowl, we are no better than the burglar of cats, no? Although, you may be more of ze dog burglar. You did not find ze joke to be amusing, no…? Ah, I see, I see. Very well. Zat is what we will do." She got up and turned to the two.

"She can talk to dogs?" Todd whispered. Dina shrugged.

"We want to make ze Fossil Battle with you," Joanie announced. "If you can defeat Madame Pooch, we shall give you ze bowl." Todd frowned, raising a brow.

"You want us to battle your _dog_?" He asked.

"Ah, no!" Joanie gasped. "I have not said zis correctly. You will make ze Fossil Battle with me, Joanie."

"Alright, I'll battle you then." Todd shrugged and took out his Dino Medals. Madame Pooch whined and shook her head.

"No, no," Joanie said. "She wishes for me to make the battle with Dina. Ze request is good, no?"

"Look, lady, we just want the bowl," Todd groaned. "Alright, Dina, do your thing." Dina sighed and nodded, pulling out her Dino Medals.

Riptide took the lead with Fury and Mayrah behind him. The Peloro rammed into Riptide and knocked him back a bit. The Machai and Tryma joined in on the attack. Dina quickly realized she would have to take out the Tryma. Fury leaped at it, snapping at its neck. Riptide charged Joanie's Machai and Fury helped take it out. The Tryma kicked and picked at Mayrah and the Peloro slammed into her, hitting her with a critical. Fury took out the Tryma and Riptide charged the Peloro. The two locked horns, but Riptide was stronger. He rammed it into the wall, sending it back into Dino Medal form.

Joanie frowned and looked down at Madame Pooch.

"Our vivosaurs, zey have lost," she said. "Do not be angry, Madame Pooch. It was bad luck, no?" Madame Pooch growled softly.

 _Luck had nothing to do with it,_ Fury snarled. _It was pure skill. They were doomed to fail from the start._

 _Calm down, Fury,_ Mayrah said. _The humans blame luck for many things. Fossil battles are no different._

"Well, you have defeated me, so I shall return ze bowl," Joanie said. She handed Dina the bowl. "Madame Pooch says ze Fossil Battle was fun. But now, adieu!" She and the dog walked away.

"Let's get the bowl back to that cute girl!" Todd grinned, a small blush forming on his cheeks. "She's got to be thankful, right? Maybe she'll even like me!" They paused as their Paleopagers went off.

"This is an alert for all fighters," it said. "The BB Brigade has begun kidnapping Fighters from Rainbow Canyon. As of now, they appear to be targeting young females. Female Fighters in Rainbow Canyon are urged to seek shelter immediately." Dina shared a worried look with Todd.

"The BareBones Brigade is kidnapping girls?" Todd clenched his fists. "How low can you get!? Joanie's got her dog, so she's probably all right, and you've got me and your vivosaurs, but that cute girl could be in real trouble! Come on! Let's get back and find her!" Dina nodded and chased after Todd as he raced away. When they got back to the clearing, they found that Pauleen was nowhere to be found.

"H-help me, digadig!" The two spun around and saw a couple of grunts dragging the poor Fighter away and up a gondola. Todd and Dina hopped back into theirs and chased after them. When they reached the top they spotted a suspicious door with a button in front of it. Two BareBones Brigade members were quickly approaching the door, carrying fruit. One pressed the button and the door opened. They headed inside.

Todd and Dina waited a moment before rushing over and pressing the button. They made their way inside, stepping carefully into an odd scene. The kidnapped girls were all laying on comfy chairs with two posters painted like a beach behind them. They were complaining to the BareBones Brigade members to bring them juice and fruit and one of the girls even made one of the grunts dance.

[Does it count as kidnapping if the girls are enjoying themselves?] Dina signed. Todd shrugged.

"Oh, look," he whispered, gripping Dina's shoulder. Pauleen walked into the room and looked around. "It's the cute girl! Come on, let's go rescue her!" When the BareBones Brigade grunts weren't looking, they snuck their way over to her.

"Are you alright?" Todd asked her quietly. Pauleen nodded.

"I'm okay," she answered. "They haven't diga-done anything to me. Those BareBones goons are just glorified servants, diga. They've been pampering us diga-day and night. Most of the girls love it! They say they don't even care about the Cup anymore!"

"They're being nice to girls so they lost interest in the cup…?" Todd frowned and looked to Dina. "You sure they almost killed you last time?"

[Those might have been different grunts,] Dina signed in reply. [Either that or their boss heard about it and they got a huge scolding. I don't think Don Boneyard really wants to kill anyone, just scare them away like the bad guys from Scooby Doo.]

"But why only girls?" Todd asked. The three thought for a second before Todd spoke again, "Actually, you know what? We can worry about that later. Have you learned anything from your time here? If you know who's in charge, we can knock him out and chase off the rest of the BB Brigade."

"I think the man in the back is the boss, digadig," Pauleen answered. Todd nodded, his blue eyes fierce and determined.

"Ok! I'm gonna show him what's what! Let's go, Dina!" He said. Dina raised a brow.

 _How to make a male grow a pair; throw a pretty female in front of him,_ Peak chuckled.

Todd and Dina hurried deeper into the cave. Todd puffed out his chest, trying to make himself look big and fierce.

"H-hey!" he called. "BB Brigade commander guy! Sh-show yourself! We'll show you what happens to guys who kidnap girls and...treat them really well!"

[Todd that's a horrible choice of words,] Dina signed to him.

"I do believe you are referring to me." A boy with black and red hair, red glasses, a black star painted over his left eye and a white and black outfit walked over, arms crossed over his chest. "You have the guts to come in here and challenge me, the most revered of the three BB Brigade commanders. Say hello to Cole...! Yep. Pretty slick, huh? Do you like the glasses? That post-modern look is so right now, don't you think?" The two stared at him in silence. Dina because of how young the commander seemed to be and Todd for an entirely different reason...

"Ugh, he's a hipster!" Todd stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Now I understand why the other BB Brigade goons are scared of him." Dina let out a snort of amusement.

 _He doesn't look any older than Todd and I, actually,_ she observed. _Maybe a year or two at the most._

 _That's a boy?_ Peak questioned.

"Yeah, so I suppose you want us to stop pampering the ladies, yeah?" Cole asked. "Not gonna happen, bro. We spoil the chicks, and then they stop giving two hoots about the Caliosteo Cup. And without ladies to impress, all the male Fighters lose the will to fight!"

[That's terribly inaccurate,] Dina signed to him. [Yes, some Fighters may be doing it to impress the ladies, but most do it for the fun or for the glory of the challenge itself. People, like Rupert, don't exactly care about ladies as far as I've seen.]

"Well, none except you," Todd muttered. Dina elbowed him in the side.

"Oh, shake a leg and get lost before I feed you to my Boneysaurs!" Cole snapped. Dina stiffened for a moment at the mention of them. Todd, who hadn't seen her last battle with the BB Brigade, was left confused.

"Boneysaurs? D-did he really say Boneysaurs, Dina?" He asked. Dina nodded.

[They're horrible, unnatural vivosaurs made of bones and darkness,] she explained. [they're very powerful as well. The BB Brigade members back on Mt. Krakanak used them as well.]

"S-skeletal vivosaurs made of bones and darkness?" Todd squeaked. "Y-you mean they're l-like a vivosaur g-g-ghost? Ooooh, my stomaaaaach! I'm gonna be sick, Dina! This guy's all yours!" He hurried away, clutching his stomach.

"Still here?" Cole turned to Dina, eyes narrowed. "You're not just trying to steal my style, are you?"

[I'm here to stop you,] Dina answered.

"Sorry, I don't know sign language," Cole waved his hand dismissively. "Listen, I've got a yacht-rock concert to get to, so lemme just make this quick. Feast your eyes on my beautiful boneysaurs!" The two sent out their vivosaurs at each other. Cole had a B-Rex, B-Lambeo and B-Plesio on his team. Dina sent out Mayrah, Peak and Riptide with Mayrah in the front.

The B-Plesio rammed into Peak. He skidded back some and Mayrah knocked it away from him with a blast of wind. The B-Plesio then turned on Riptide. He shook it off and slammed into the B-Rex. The B-Lambeo and B-Plesio slammed into Riptide, but he held his ground and charged into the B-Rex again. Peak bit down into the neck of the B-Lambeo.

The B-Plesio again attacked Riptide and again Riptide shook it off and focused on the B-Rex. Peak continued his attack on the B-Lambeo, hitting it with a critical hit. The B-Lambo turned on Mayrah and headbutted her. Riptide took out the B-Rex while Peak continued to bite the B-Lambeo. The B-Plesio kept going for Riptide, but its attacks weren't doing much. The B-Lambeo managed to shake Peak off long enough for it to defeat Riptide. Peak roared in fury and sent it back into its Dino Medal.

Mayrah stopped and bit at the B-Plesio. It thrashed desperately, but in seconds it to was a Dino Medal. Cole took a step back, his eyes wide.

"W-what!?" He sputtered. "N-no! This can't be happening! How could I be beaten by someone so terminally unhip? This is worse than the time that guy sold me off-brand shoes!" He ran away crying and Todd walked over, grinning ear to ear.

"Way to go, Dina!" He hugged her. "That hipster just ran off bawling his little eyes out, and the rest of the BB Brigade took off after him! I think the girls will leave once they realize no one's going to pamper them anymore."

Sure enough, the girls did leave soon after that and Pauleen approached the two, thanking them.

"Aw, you don't need to thank us," Todd said, blushing. "We were happy to help. Oh! Hey, wait. We also found that bowl you were looking for." Dina handed it to her.

"Thank you for finding it, but this isn't a bowl," Pauleen said. "It's a mask." She dumped the fruit out of it and put it on.

"W-what!?" Todd fell back onto the ground. "You were Pauleen all along!?"

"I sure was!" Pauleen puffed out her chest in pride and put her hands on her hips. "The one and only Pauleen! So what the heck took you two so long, huh? When a beautiful girl is in distress, you drop everything and come running to help her!"

"Well, well! Looks like you're the big heroes once more!" Terry walked over to them. "A few kidnapped girls just wandered back into town and told us their story. I can't believe you two ran off the BB Brigade all on your own! You must be some kind of Fighters."

"Pffft, the BareBones Brigade is no match for a teen idol like me!" Pauleen scoffed. "Miss Pauleen is on the scene!"

"Um, yeah, except that you didn't do _anything_ ," Todd managed to overcome his shock and got up. Pauleen slowly turned to look at him.

"Did you say something?" She questioned. Todd squeaked and ducked behind Dina.

"Well, thanks anyway," Terry spoke up. "Now we can get the Cup under way without any further delay. Keep an eye on your Paleopagers! We'll have Round 4 info coming soon. Thanks again, guys. Keep up the good work, okay?" He headed out. Pauleen raced away.

"Man, Pauleen is so weird," Todd said. "It's like she's a different person once that mask is on." Before they could think on it more, their Paleopagers alerted them that Round 4 would be starting soon. Dina hurried back to the City to her next match.

Her opponent used an all air element team, so Dina sent Peak out in front. He immediately bit down on the neck of the lead Camara, defeating it instantly. Fury leaped at the green Camara, digging her claws into its side. The green Camara shook her off and slapped her away with its tail. Its friend joined in on the attack and Fury reverted back into a Dino Medal. Peak slammed into the green Camara and Mayrah attacked the blue one. The two Camaras attacked Peak, but he refused to go down without a fight. He hit the green Camara with a critical hit, knocking it down. The blue Camara rushed to its friend aid, but Peak ended the green one's battle quickly. Mayrah leaped in and bit down on the blue Camara's tail. It bellowed in rage and slapped her away with its tail. Peak rushed in and rammed it into the wall. It fought back to defend itself, hitting him in the face with its tail. He bit down on its tail, growling in annoyance. It raised its tail and slammed him to the ground, defeating him. A final bite from Mayrah ended the battle.

Todd later met up with Dina in the Lobby.

"I really think you can win this Cup, Dina," he said.

"I suppose all this BB Brigade fighting has taken away from your fossil hunting, huh?" Terry asked. "And yet you _still_ cleared Round 4! You're really something, Dina. Oh, here. It's a little prize for winning your Round 4 match. He handed her a new fossil rock. "It also seems that word of your heroic exploits against the BB Brigade has reached the highest levels. Joe Wildwest himself wants to speak to you!"

"Wait, you mean _the_ Joe Wildwest?" Todd asked. "He wants to meet with us? Really!?"

"He sure does," Terry answered. "Now, I know you're busy, but I bet you can make a few minutes to see Joe up in his suite, right?" The two kids nodded, eyes bright. Terry pointed them in the direction and Dina told Todd to wait for her there. She wanted to clean this new fossil first.

 _Hey, Riptide, you want this fossil?_ Dina asked. _You were the first Vivosaur I revived._

 _What about Mayrah?_ Riptide asked.

 _I don't want it,_ Mayrah answered. _You go ahead and take it, dear._

 _Alright, if you really want me to…_

Dina smiled and integrated the fossil onto him. He changed from blue and brown to red and blue.

 _Wow, I actually feel a lot stronger!_ He said.

Dina headed back out where Todd was waiting and they hurried up to the elevator. They spotted Pauleen about to go in.

"Oh no," Pauleen groaned. "Don't tell me Joe invited you two jokers along!"

"What are you doing here, Pauleen!?" Todd shot back. "Did Joe give you an invitation, too? Aw, man. This is the pits. I thought we were going to chat about old times, but if Pauleen's invited, that seems unlikely."

"Well!?" Pauleen huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Are we going to do this, or are you going to stand around and look depressed all day?"

They stepped into the elevator and made their way up to Joe's suite. He was staring out the window at the clouds rolling by through the sky.

"Howdy, folks," he turned and greeted them. "Sorry to take up yer time, but I'm real tickled ya'll came to see me. I'm Joe Wildwest, owner and proprietor of this here Caliosteo Fossil Park. Now, I've been hearing about yer heroics from Terry, and I don't mind sayin' that he's a mite impressed. He told me how ya'll rescued them girls from the BareBones Brigade. If it warn't for that, I mighta had to shut down the whole Caliosteo Cup! So then, it seems I owe you my thanks."

"There's no need to thank me," Pauleen said. "I just did what any beautiful and talented fighter would do."

"Yeah, like stand around and do nothing," Todd grumbled.

"You stay out of this!" Pauleen snapped at him.

[Guys, knock it off!] Dina signed to them, stepping between them.

"Whoa there!" Joe said quickly. "Let's all just tucker down now, pardners. Now, I can yell ya'll are skilled Fighters with a strong sense'a justice. And that's why I've got an offer for ya. I want ya'll to join the Caliosteo Patrol Team! Them BB varmints are persistent as flies on a manure pile, and I reckon they'll strike again before too long. So I'll need ya'll to keep yer eyes peeled for anything that looks like trouble. If ya smell anything fishy, just let either a staff leader or myself know, ya hear? That's the job of the Caliosteo Patrol Team. Of course, Dina and Pauleen would continue fightin' in the Caliosteo Cup. Just consider this a little side job to make life better for all the other Fighters."

"You can count on me, sir!" Todd stepped forward. "I'll do whatever it takes to stop the BareBones Brigade!"

"It sounds like fun," Pauleen agreed. "Plus, you'll need someone as beautiful and talented as me if you hope to succeed."

"Well, shucks, you two. Yer makin' me happy as a pig on a slop." Joe grinned. "So how 'bout you, Dina? Can I convince ya to join the Caliosteo Patrol Team?" Dina nodded to him.

[Someone needs to make sure these two don't kill each other,] she joked. Todd nudged her playfully.

"I knew you'd say yes!" he said. "Besides, this is our chance to pay Joe back for saving our lives two years ago!"

"Pay me back?" Joe asked, frowning in confusion. "What'n the heck are you talkin' about, small fry?"

"Don't you remember, Joe?" Todd asked. "Two years ago you came along and saved us from a rogue Allosaurus! Don't tell me you've forgotten us!"

"Sorry, pardner," Joe replied. "But I don't remember anything like that. Right then! I hereby declare the Caliosteo Patrol Team open for business! I'm expecting some great things from the three of you, so don't let me down, y'hear?" While they cheered, Dina couldn't help but wonder.

 _What's wrong, Dina?_ Fury asked. _Aren't you excited?_

 _I am, really,_ Dina answered. _But you think Joe would remember saving two kids from an Allosaurus and giving one of his vivosaurs to one of them. Plus there's the fact that he didn't tell his staff members he was giving away the Park as the grand prize for the Cup. There's something not right about this whole thing. I just wish I knew what._


	7. A new enemy and a lost friend

**Before I start the chapter I would like to give a big thank you to everyone that has read this story whether they have reviewed or not. I have actually finished the main story of the game and I will post a new chapter every day until I reach a point where I can't because a chapter has not been finished.**

 **Also, if you have any questions for the characters that have been introduced feel free to ask! They will be answered as fan mail or as interview questions within the story itself. You can ask any characters that have been introduced.**

Cole flopped onto his bed, letting out a muffled scream of frustration into his pillow. He'd just got done being scolded by Don Boneyard for failing, but the worst part was that Lester had taunted him for losing to a single fighter. It was pissing him off to no end. He didn't even bother looking up when he heard his door slide open.

"Heeey, Cole, are you, like, okay?" The bed creaked as someone sat down beside him and gently rubbed his back to comfort him. "I heard you came back crying after some fighter, like, beat you." Cole raised his head and glanced back at the girl on his bed.

"I'm fine, Lola," he answered. "That girl was awful! She didn't even talk to me!"

"She didn't?" Lola tilted her head curiously. "Do you know why?"

"No, I don't." Cole sat up and crossed his arms over his chest. "She was using sign language-which I don't understand by the way-and it was obvious she could hear me."

"Did you think that maybe she, like, can't talk at all?" Lola questioned. "I mean, there aaare people out there who can't, like, speak because they were born unable to or they got hurt or something. Like, I had an uncle who breathed in too much smoke during a fire and he'd cough if he exercised too much and he said on bad days it hurt to talk. Maybe she was in a fire or something."

"I don't think so," Cole answered. "I mean, she didn't cough at all, and I'm pretty sure that Fossil Battle exhausted her. Maybe she was born mute...anyway, that doesn't matter. What _does_ matter is that I will get my revenge on her!"

"That's the spirit, man." Lola smiled at him. "And if Lester's plan fails, I'll be sure to take her out for both of you."

"Thanks Lola," Cole grinned and hugged the girl. "You're the best sister a guy could ask for."

~...~

Dina stepped out of her room, yawning. She was still half asleep, but she didn't want to sleep any longer than necessary. A new dig site was open on Ilium island, and she wanted to go check it out. Todd was still a little upset about Joe not remembering the two of them, but he was even more excited about being a member of the newly formed Caliosteo Patrol Team. He had run on ahead to the new island, so Dina flew there by herself.

When she arrived on the new island she was greeted by Kent, the Staff Leader. He chatted with her for a moment before heading off. Dina watched him leave before the cold wind finally got to her. She shivered and started towards the Fossil Station. She blinked in surprise as she nearly ran right into Rupert. He turned to her, raising a brow.

"Why are you wearing such clothing in weather like this?" he asked her. "Aren't you cold?"

[Freezing,] Dina replied. [I didn't think to bring a coat. It was my understanding that the islands were warm. Nobody warned us we'd be in a tundra.] Rupert sighed and shook his head, taking his own coat off. She tried to refuse, but he insisted and she had no choice but to let him drape it across her shoulders.

"I think you can buy some coats in the Fighter Station," he said. He walked with her into the Fighter Station and waited for her as she purchased a coat. It was a puffy dark blue one with fake fur on the inside. She handed Rupert back his own coat and the two walked out together and towards Hot Spring Heights.

"I must ask, did you ever find out what happened with Fury?" he stopped. Dina paused and turned to him tipping her head in thought.

[No, I suppose it slipped my mind,] she answered.

 _My Fighter abandoned me when he found a fire element that was 'better and stronger',_ Fury snarled. _I've no idea where he is now, but I hope to never see him again._

[She said her Fighter abandoned her out there after he found a different vivosaur,] Dina told Rupert. He raised a brow.

"'She 'said'?" he echoed. Dina paused for a moment, frowning at the question.

[Yes, my vivosaurs speak to me telepathically,] she admitted. [Don't yours?]

"Vivosaurs talking?" Rupert scoffed. "Now there's a tall tale if I ever heard one. Still, I know you are not one to lie, so if you say they speak to you, I believe you. But to answer your question, no, my vivosaurs have never spoken to me. Nor I to them outside of battle. Have your vivosaurs said anything about me?"

[Oh, yes, they hate you.] Dina grinned. Rupert scowled at her and she continued, [Nah, I'm joking. They don't really hate you, but Mayrah's still mad at you for what you did when we first met and Peak likes to make fun of you a lot. Riptide's...well, he's Riptide, he's a sweetheart and thinks you're a really good person. Fury hasn't said anything about you yet, so I don't think she's formed an opinion of you or just doesn't care.]

"Mayrah?" He questioned. "Peak? Riptide?"

[Mayrah's my Aero, Peak is my Raja and Riptide's my Tricera,] Dina explained. [They're slowly warming up to you.] Rupert nodded.

"I'm very sorry about when we met," he sighed, a small blush forming on his cheeks. "I did that for the camera and I promise to never do it again."

[Good, because I don't know if I can stop Mayrah from biting you if you do,] Dina joked. As if on cue, Mayrah burst from her Dino Medal in her compact form and growled warningly at Rupert. He took a step back, face pale.

"Dina, control your vivosaur, please," he said.

Dina suddenly got an idea. While Rupert tried to calm down Mayrah, she leaned down and began to pack some snow into a ball. She threw it at the child prodigy, hitting him right in the chest. He yelped and stumbled back, startled by the sudden attack.

"Hey!" he frowned at her. He tried to glare, but it melted as he saw she was laughing. There was something eerie about her silent giggles, but at the same time Rupert couldn't help but smile along with her. "Yes, yes, you're hilarious," he chuckled, bending over to make his own snowball. Dina barely managed to duck out of the way as he tossed it at her.

That was the snowball heard around the world. In moments the two were locked in a fierce war, ducking behind rocks and small snow forts as they dodged enemy fire, calling-or signing in Dina's case-playful insults and challenges to one another. The only sounds around were the echoes of Rupert's laugh and the soft crunching of the fresh snow beneath their feet. At some point, the two lost sight of each other and stopped to think about their next strategy. Mayrah had returned to being a Dino Medal and Dina's Vivosaurs were silent, feeling it would be too unfair if they helped her.

She was broken from her thoughts when she saw Pauleen speaking to a snowman. Her mask was off and she was clearly practicing what to say to another person. She couldn't get close enough to hear what Pauleen was saying, but after a few moments the girl sighed and put her mask on. She raced away. Dina frowned and failed to realize there was someone creeping towards her. She gasped as a snowball hit her back. She spun around to face Rupert, whose golden eyes were shining in amusement.

"Always be alert," he chuckled. Dina would have shoved some snow in his face, but her Paleopager went off and caught her attention.

"I got a little job my new Caliosteo Patrol Team," Joe's voice rang out from it. "Can ya'll meet me at my suite in Wildwest Tower?"

"Caliosteo Patrol Team?" Rupert raised a brow, eyes wide.

[After the incident in Rainbow Canyon Joe asked Todd, Pauleen and I to form a Caliosteo Patrol Team. If we notice something odd going on around the park we're to report to him or a Staff Leader immediately.] Dina told him. He nodded briefly.

"Better hurry then," he said. "Good luck." Dina nodded.

[Prepare yourself because when I return I'm getting back at you for that snowball!] Dina turned and raced away. Rupert watched her leave, shaking his head and letting out another soft chuckle.

"You're really something, Dina," he murmured to himself. He received a call on his phone and answered it.

~...~

"Dina, wait!" Rupert raced to catch up to her, skidding to a stop and almost falling over on the ice. She caught him and helped him back up.

[What's the rush?] she asked once Rupert was steady.

"My father is taking a moment out of his schedule to come by the fossil park," he explained. "I have been ordered to wait for him out here. I thought I would catch up to you so you could meet him." They turned their attention the sky as a helicopter landed on the pad and a man in a suit walked out.

"Thank you for coming to see me, Father," Rupert greeted. "I know your time is most valuable."

"I hear you are making steady progress through the Cup, Rupert," his father replied, not even bothering to say 'hello'. "However, I expect you to continue on and win. I will accept no less than total victory. Your unbeaten streak is the finest advertising FossilDig, Inc. could want, and it must continue at all costs. Do not fail me in this, Rupert!" Rupert seemed to shrink back.

"Y-yes, Father," he replied. His father seemed pleased with his son's answer.

"Very well. Perhaps I will take a tour of this little park before I leave. Since this park is the grand prize, it will inevitably become a part of the FossilDig, Inc. empire.." he trailed off as he noticed Dina. "Who is this?"

"This is Dina," Rupert answered. "She is another competitor within the Cup."

"Oh, so _you're_ the child that has been rumored to have stolen my son's heart?" His father's voice dripped with venom as he glowered down at Dina through his yellow sunglasses. Dina flinched back, averting her gaze to the floor.

[Those are just rumors, sir,] she signed. [I do not think Rupert and I are even friends. We barely know each other and we didn't exactly get along at first.]

"Really now?" His father questioned. "Then what about that interview on TV?" Rupert froze up, his face paling.

"That was a stunt I pulled to gain popularity, Father," he defended himself. "I meant no harm to anyone. Besides, I'm sure these rumors have brought some positive light to the company, correct?"

"Yes, the tales of Rupert and his disabled love, torn apart between their love for each other and their rivalry to win the Cup, have gotten attention alright," his father huffed. "Though, it is true it has gotten us more positive attention than negative. Good choice, Rupert. You seem to get along fine now, though."

[He insulted my friend,] Dina signed, her lips curling back in a grimace. [I can't forgive that. We merely act that way to keep up this 'lover' act. Trust me, I've had many thoughts of shoving him into the ocean. I was on my way to Cranial City when I ran into him out here.]

"And what could you gain from this?" Rupert's father's eyes narrowed. "What is in it for you?"

[I owe him, unfortunately,] Dina answered. [He saved my life when I nearly fell off the path in Mt. Krakanak, so I'm apparently his fake girlfriend now until the end of the Cup where we will go our separate ways.] Rupert's father nodded briefly.

"Very well. Good-bye, Rupert." He turned and headed back into the helicopter. Rupert looked down at his boots.

"As you can see," he said. "My father is a very...driven man. He puts the company first and thinks about how to make it better...that's all my father thinks about, really." He blinked as Dina suddenly hugged him. He awkwardly wrapped his arms around her.

[If you ever want to talk, just find me,] she signed to him as she pulled away.

"Thank you," Rupert murmured. "But please, forget any of this ever happened. It really is none of your concern and you needn't worry about it. I'm very sorry for how he spoke to you, but...is that really why you're doing this?"

[Of course not!] Dina protested. [I really do think of you as a friend, Rupert, but I could tell he probably wouldn't like the idea of you having me as a friend from the way he was looking at me.]

"You...lied?" Rupert breathed. "For me?" Dina nodded, smiling.

[That's the lengths friends will go for one another,] she signed. [I'd better get going. I'll see you later! Remember to prepare yourself! I shall have my revenge!] She hopped onto the next helicopter as it landed and waved to Rupert. He smiled and waved back.

"I'll have another snowball waiting for you!" He called. He wasn't sure if she had heard it over the helicopter's whirring blades, but the sight of her sticking her tongue out at him confirmed she had. He laughed and watched the Helicopter disappear on the horizon. His smile faded as he was left alone with his own thoughts.

 _If she could lie so easily to my father,_ he thought. _what's stopping her from doing the same to me?_

Dina entered the suite to find Pauleen and Todd already there, which was no surprise. She was, however, unable to stop grinning and it did not go past her friends' heads.

"Hey, what are you so happy about?" Todd asked.

"Oh, she and Rupert were on a date in Hot Spring Heights," Pauleen giggled. "I heard Rupert's laughter all the way on the other side of the dig site so I stole a peek. They were throwing snow at each other and chasing each other around. It was absolutely _adorable_!"

"What!?" Todd was less than happy with the news. "You were with that jerk!? Why!?" Correction; he wasn't happy at all.

[He's not that bad once you get to know him, Todd,] Dina signed to her friend. [And we weren't on a date, we were just hanging out as friends. Besides, that's not important right now.]

"Sorry for ropin' ya here on such short notice." Joe was smiling in amusement from the conversation. "Lemme introduce ya to someone. This here's the Minister Pomposa from the Kingdom of Nomadistan. Now listen up. Minister Pomposa's got somethin' very important he wants to tell ya'll." The man in the blue suit nodded and stepped forward.

"The words Minister Pomposa will now speak are of vital importance to the Kingdom of Nomadistan," he said. Todd and Pauleen whispered about never hearing about it before and Minister Pomposa snapped at them to be quiet. "Now, if you are done being rude...The Kingdom of Nomadistan has a lovely princess whom the people treasure above all else. However, our beloved princess has recently gone missing! This is simply unacceptable! Minister Pomposa has traveled far and wide in search of the princess, but no success. However, we now believe we are close to finding her whereabouts. It seems she has entered herself in the Caliosteo Cup! This means she is here in this very fossil park. Minister Pomposa is sure of it. "

"As ya'll can see," Joe spoke. "This is a matter of some sensitivity, and we've been asked to keep it under our hats. But I figured if anyone could form a posse and track down this little lady, it would be my Patrol Team!"

"I don't mind looking for the princess, but Minister Jerkface there is really starting to bug me!" Todd whispered.

"What did you say!?" The minister roared. Todd yelped and ducked behind Dina.

"I...um...said you have a very nice mustache, sir!" He squeaked.

"Yes, it is quite fine," Minister Pomposa puffed out his chest. "Minister Pomposa brushes it with 100 strokes every night. Now then. If you return our princess, we shall reward you most generously. You shall be given a miraculous fossil rock so fine, Fighters shed tears of joy just to be near it." This got Pauleen and Todd's attention. Dina listened on in confusion, unsure of what they were talking about.

"I've heard of those!" Pauleen turned to her. "They can make vivosaurs transform or evolve on the spot. I can't believe they'd give away something so valuable…"

Minister Pomposa showed them a picture of the princess. Apparently, Joanie was the princess, or so it seemed. Todd and Pauleen immediately raced away once they reached the lobby. Dina shook her head with a silent sigh.

After asking a few people she learned that Joanie was in the Jungle Labrinth and hurried over. After some exploration she found Joanie and Madame Pooch in the deepest part of the jungle being harassed by some man who seemed intent on stealing the poor pup from Joanie. Dina ran in and forced herself between the man and Madame Pooch, glaring up at him.

"Please, make with ze Fossil Battle and save Madame Pooch," Joanie pleaded. Dina nodded and pulled out her Dino Medals.

The man's two machai immediately leaped onto Riptide, biting and clawing at him. Mayrah focused on the Heracles, biting into its tail and throwing it. Fury joined in, swiping her claws on its stomach before leaping back.

The two Machai slammed into her, knocking her away from it. She quickly took out the Heracles with a critical hit and snarled at the two. They backed away, wide eyed. Riptide charged the red one, sending it back into its Dino Medal. The green machai managed to defeat Fury before it was taken out by Riptide and Mayrah.

Madame Pooch bit the man's leg and chased him away. Dina barely managed to explain that Minister Pomposa was looking for them when Todd and Pauleen rushed in and grabbed Joanie, dragging her away. Madame Pooch let out a whine and Dina shrugged. She gently picked the pup up and followed.

When she made it back to Joe's suite, Todd and Pauleen were arguing about who had brought the princess back first. When Dina arrived with Madame Pooch, Minister Pomposa was elated and pushed by them. Apparently Madame Pooch was actually Princess Pooch Poochian. The Kingdom of Nomadistan was always at war and after some time the people began to blame their human rulers so they replaced them with dogs and had been at peace ever since.

"Minister Pomposa," Joanie spoke. "You must not make with ze chastising of Princess Pooch! It was I who allowed her out of ze palace. She asked for my help, and I could not refuse." Minister Pomposa knelt down.

"Is your desire to engage in Fossil Battles really so strong, Princess?" He asked. Princess Pooch let out a bark of confirmation. "Very well. In that case, Minister Pomposa sees no harm in staying here until your next match."

"Ah, Princess Pooch, this zis is so wonderful, no?" Joanie was smiling. "If Minister Pomposa sees your passion for Fossil Battles, you can continue in ze Cup!" Excited, Princess Pooch barked and ran around the room, her tiny tail wagging rapidly. Minister Pomposa handed Dina the Miraculous Fossil Rock. He, Joanie and Princess Pooch left the room.

"You mean a _dog_ advanced in the cup and I didn't!?" Todd cried out in dismay. Pauleen burst out laughing and Dina could barely stop herself from giggling.

"Well, Dina, it looks like you done went and saved the day again," Joe said. "But thanks to you, too, Todd and Pauleen. I know ya'll gave it yer best shot." They received a message that the Hot Spring Heights hot spring was open.

 _A hot spring?_ Peak asked. _Hell yes, sign me up! I need a little relaxation after that mess!_

 _Peak, language!_ Mayrah snapped at him.

 _I agree with Peak!_ Riptide probably would have been hopping around if he wasn't a Dino Medal. _The hot springs sound like fun!_

 _You three have fun with that,_ Fury stated. _I'm not a huge fan of water, so I'll just be enjoying the steam._

"Well, it took a good long time, but we finally got the durn hot spring open," Joe chuckled. "Ya'll should check it out. It's a good place for soakin' yer old bones and clearin' the dust from the trail."

"I'm going to head there right now," Todd said. "You should come too, Dina!"

[I'll meet you there,] she signed. [I want to get this fossil cleaned first. And get back at Rupert for that snowball he hit me with earlier.] Todd frowned at the mention of Rupert but then shrugged.

"Hit him in the face for me!" he called as he ran off.

 _Please do,_ Mayrah said.

"You and Rupert seem to be gettin' mighty close," Joe teased. "Them rumors aren't too far off, are they?"

[Rupert is just a friend,] Dina insisted. [I don't think he likes me like that. And I don't think I like him like _that_ , either.] She turned and hurried away before Joe could say anything else on the matter.

After cleaning the fossil she integrated it to Mayrah. She changed shape, turning into a beautiful golden vivosaur with butterfly like wings. She could, apparently, use these wings to fly wish she showed off by hovering around the room in her compact form. She followed Dina proudly out to Hot Spring Heights.

A snowball hit Dina in the back and she spun around, eyes narrowed. Rupert stepped out from behind a tree, grinning.

"Got you," he teased.

[You'll pay for that!] Dina darted towards him. Rupert, caught of guard, was unable to move out of the way when she tackled him into the soft snow. He laughed and rolled, pinning her down.

"You'll have to try something better than that to get back at me," He stated proudly. He got off her so she could sit up and sat down nearby, finally noticing Mayrah. "Is that…?"

[Yep, I super evolved her,] Dina answered. [I'm meeting Todd at the hot springs, by the way. Care to join us? I'm sure you need some relaxation.] Rupert seemed to hesitate before he nodded.

"Oh, alright," he said. "I'm sure a swim wouldn't hurt. Besides, the hot springs do sound comforting and I'm cold from your little attack." He helped her back onto her feet and they walked to the springs together.

"Hey, there you are, Dina!" Todd greeted them. "This is the biggest hot spring I've ever seen! I can't wait to get in and start soaking! Hey, what's _Rupert_ doing here?"

[I invited him,] Dina answered. [Be nice to him, Todd, Rupert's a good person. Yeah, he acts all stuck up and snobby but you have to remember he's a kid just like us.] Rupert stared at her in silence.

"Whatever," Todd mumbled. "Just don't let him soak in the same spring as me and I'll be fine." He turned and rushed into the changing room, immediately getting into a swimsuit and hopping into the spring.

"Thank you," Rupert whispered to Dina. "That's the first time anyone ever said something nice about me and really meant it. Someone my own age, anyway." Dina smiled at him. She could feel the eyes of all the other Fighters within the spring watching the two of them and tried to ignore them.

"Hurry up and get in here, Dina!" Todd called. Dina rolled her eyes playfully, but before she could take a single step the water changed to a deep purple and seemed to solidify. The scent of grape jelly. Todd struggled and tried to escape, but the jelly held tight and prevented him from going anywhere. Dina tried to pull him out, but nothing she tried worked.

[I'll go tell Kent,] she signed. [I'll be back as soon as possible.] She rushed out of the spring. Rupert stared at Todd, biting back a laugh before he raced after her.

"I can't believe he actually took a bite out of it," he said. "I mean seriously, that cannot be sanitary."

The two rushed into Kent's office where they explained the situation to him. The three hurried back to the springs where Kent tried to help Todd out of the jelly, but he too was helpless against it.

"I bet the BareBones Brigade is behind this, dude," he grumbled. "It seems like their style. They probably messed around with the hot-spring water supply or something, yeah? The water comes from down an undersea pipeline straight from Mt. Krakanak over on Cranial Isle. You'll probably have to visit the crater to find a solution. You mind going, dude? It's way too hot there for a snow guy like me." Dina nodded and left with Rupert. The closer she got to the volcano, however, the more she began to shake. Rupert reached out and gave her a comforting pat on the back.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you." Dina took a deep breath.

[I'm sorry,] she signed. [I shouldn't be dragging you here.]

"You're not dragging me," Rupert protested. "I want to come. I, um, feel a bit sorry for Todd. No man deserves to be trapped in jelly. It'd be an embarrassing way to die." Dina managed to smile a little.

[Please don't let go of me,] she signed frantically as he stepped away slightly. He blinked and nodded, reaching out to hold her hand. He shared a brief conversation about what had happened in Rainbow Canyon with her in an attempt to keep her mind away from the high, narrow paths. He didn't let go until they reached the crater.

"Look there, Dina," he whispered. He pointed to where the BareBones Brigade members were crowded around a machine. "I knew I detected the stench of the BareBones Brigade on this plan. They must be interfering with the water supply. Let's make haste." He quickly began to walk, but stopped when he noticed Dina wasn't following.

[I...I don't know about this,] she signed. [Falling from a height is one thing-I'd probably die instantly once I hit the ground-but lava…?]

"Dina, I swear to you I will not let you fall," Rupert said as he walked back to her. "We cannot let them do this. We must stop them."

[I know, I know, I'm just scared.] Dina had begun to shiver again. [Really, really scared. Fire and I do not mix well.]

"I don't know if this will help, but I'm scared as well," Rupert admitted, gently taking her hand again. "Terrified of what might happen if we lose-what they might do to y-us, terrified of what might happen if one of us falls into the lava, but we cannot stop here. Not now. I know I've said this several times, but I swear to you that I will never let you fall. Do it for the Cup, for Todd. Do it for me." He gently rested his forehead on hers, his free hand reaching up to rest on her cheek. Dina took a deep breath and nodded, leaning unconsciously into his touch. She stared into his eyes, only just realizing how odd they truly were. At first she thought they were just hazel, but now she could see they were truly golden-almost reptilian even.

[Thank you,] she signed. [Thank you so much. I don't think I could ever repay you.]

"Help me fight them," he said. "That's all you need to do."

He slowly stepped away from her, keeping a gentle grip on her hand as he led her along the paths towards the BareBones Brigade.

"Stop, fiends!" He shouted.

"Well, looky here!" The boy in charge grinned. "You got guts showin' your ugly mugs in a place like this! Since you come all this way, I'll tell you a little secret...I'm one of the three BareBones Brigade Commanders! The name's Lester, and I'm gonna rock your world!"

 _Can I eat him?_ Fury asked. _He's very irritating._

 _No, Fury,_ Mayrah scolded. _He'll give you indigestion._

"Think you can handle this Lester character, Dina?" Rupert asked. She nodded and pulled out her Dino Medals. Rupert did the same, facing the three grunts.

Dina sent Riptide out in front with Mayrah and Fury along the side to help. He slammed into the B-Rex and Fury leaped in to help, latching onto its back. Lester was too stunned by the ferocity her vivosaurs fought with despite seemingly being given no commands and skipped his turn. He then shook it off and his B-Rex bit into Riptide's back, who quickly took it out. Fury turned on the B-Brachio next. It swiped at Mayrah with its tail as Riptide and the B-Tricera locked horns. Mayrah sent a flurry of razor sharp scales at the B-Tricera, sending it tumbling away. She then turned and did the same thing to the B-Brachio.

The B-Brachio realized that Fury was dangerous and took her out quickly. It was, however, too late. In moments, both Boneysaurs were reverted back to their Dino Medals. Lester took a step back.

"Hey, hold the phone, you're that Fighter who beat Cole, aren't you!?" He asked. Dina nodded, hearing Rupert call for Di66-R to destroy the machine. She figured he must have called the robot earlier somehow. It was happy to follow orders.

[You really like thinking ahead, don't you?] Dina signed to Rupert. He smiled and shrugged.

"Don't think I'll forget this, Punk!" Lester snapped at her. "You and I will have a _special_ reunion someday!"

"And you will have a fist in your face if you do not step away from her _right_. _Now_." Rupert snapped. Lester scowled and took off running with his grunts.

[You know he wasn't going to do anything.] Dina turned to Rupert.

"I didn't want to take any chances," he replied. Kent arrived moments later and Rupert quickly explained what had happened. They returned to Ilium Village with him where Todd met up with them at the Lobby. He still smelled like a giant pile of jelly, but he seemed safe, at least.

"I think I'll go take a shower soon so my vivosaurs don't mistake me for dessert," he joked, earning a silent laugh from Dina and even a small chuckle from Rupert. Pauleen came running in moments later.

"Hey, I heard all about it!" She called. "We're supposed to be a team, guys! I mean, I'm the most beautiful member and all-!"

"No, you're not," Rupert interrupted. The three turned to him and his face turned a bright shade of red. "W-well, I mean, not with that mask. Even Dina's Raja looks more appealing than that thing." Dina elbowed him in the side as Todd laughed.

 _Aw, he thinks I'm pretty!_ Peak snickered.

"I guess Dina was right," Todd said. "You are a good guy." Pauleen puffed her cheeks out and turned on Todd.

"So why was I not informed!?" She snapped.

"Um...because I was stuck in jelly?" Todd answered. Pauleen scoffed.

"So it was Dina who did all the work, hmm?" She asked. Dina shook her head and looked to Rupert.

"Well, if you remember, Dina can't speak so she could not have contacted you," Rupert huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I was there when Todd got stuck and I felt I would help out."

"I don't think that's entirely it." Pauleen grinned. "I bet they were carrying gold coins!"

"I'll not defend myself to you!" Rupert spat. "Like I said; I just...felt like helping. I've still not forgiven them for almost tossing Dina off Mt. Krakanak when we first met them, either. Dina's terrified of that dig site and I didn't want her to face it alone." Todd frowned and Pauleen's grin widened further.

"There's no backing down now, Rupert!" She said. "You fought the BB Brigade, and you protected Caliosteo Fossil Park for the sake of the Cup. There's no doubt about it. You're the newest member of the Caliosteo Patrol Team!" Todd forced a smile.

"That's a great idea…!" He didn't sound too enthusiastic. "We'd love to have Rupert join us!" Dina smiled at Rupert and nodded to him. He looked at her and then to Todd and Pauleen.

"You want me to...join you?" he breathed. "To become your...friend? Even after I said all those horrible things to you?"

"Wow, Rupert," Pauleen laughed. "You almost look happy. It's so unlike you."

[Not really,] Dina signed, knowing fully well Pauleen couldn't understand her. [Rupert can be happy. Just not in front of strangers.]

"It's...it's not that. I'm just...I mean…" Rupert sputtered and struggled to answer. Dina nudged him playfully and he sighed. "Oh, very well. I suppose I _might_ be just a _little bit_ happy."

"Great! Then from now on, the four of us are the Caliosteo Patrol Team!" Pauleen announced. "Just remember that I'm the pretty one."

"No she's not," Rupert whispered to Dina. She elbowed him in the side, knocking the breath out of him for a moment.

"You'll get used to that," Todd chuckled. "She does it to me _all the time_."

[Because you deserve it _all the time_ ,] Dina shot back, grinning. Pauleen either didn't hear what Rupert said or had decided not to say anything.

"Ok, let's do the Patrol Team cheer," she said. "Go, team, go! Fight, team, fight! We fight creeps all day and night! Goooooo, Patrol Team!" Todd chanted along with her while Dina remained silent.

"Um, Rupert." Todd turned to the prodigy. "We all have to do this together."

"Ok, let's try this once more," Pauleen sighed. They did the cheer again, this time with Rupert joining in. He let out a soft laugh.

"What is this nonsense?" Rupert's father was suddenly there behind them all. Rupert paled and yelped.

"F-Father!" He hurried over to stand in front of his father, looking as if he was already thinking about how he would be punished. Dina's heart ached for him. Had Todd not grabbed her sleeve and shook his head, she probably would have rushed to Rupert's side.

"What do you think you are doing, Rupert?" Rupert's father scolded him. "I've heard reports that you helped another Fighter take on the BareBones Brigade! Need I remind you that you are the public face of FossilDig, Inc.? We cannot afford to have you going off on such fool's errands! You might have destroyed our image! This is a sad day for me as your father." Pauleen and Todd stared on in silent horror. Dina wrenched her sleeve free from Todd's grip. Todd's face paled, but before he could say or do anything, Dina stormed up to Rupert's father.

"You can't speak to your son like that!" She snapped. She winced and her hand flew to her throat, face twisting in pain. A heavy, horrible silence fell on the group as all eyes turned to her. Pauleen's jaw had dropped and Rupert's eyes were wide and filled with terror, his face pale.

"Dina-" he said softly, breaking off as he couldn't think of what to say. He looked back to his father. "I'm...I'm sorry, Father. I only-"

"Apologies are worthless without action!" His father snapped. Rupert flinched and stepped back. His father turned to Dina. "And you have no right to tell me how to raise my child! It was my understanding you couldn't even speak! A liar like you has no right to be anywhere near my son!"

"She's not-" Rupert immediately shut up once his father shot him a glare before turning back to Dina.

[I do if you're verbally and emotionally abusing him,] Dina signed furiously. The CEO of FossilDig Inc. seemed to swell with anger. [And I can speak, it just hurts. A lot.]

"How dare you!?" he spat. "I do no such thing!"

"Dina, stop, please," Rupert pleaded. "Father, leave her alone, this has nothing to do with her I chose to do it by myself. I'm sorry."

"If you are truly sorry, you can prove it by winning Round 5 of the Caliosteo Cup," His father growled. "Crush your enemies, Rupert, or I will know where your loyalties lie." He turned and stormed away. The group was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say or do.

"Wow, Rupert." it was Todd who broke the silence. "Your dad is a real hard case. I can't believe he said that stuff to you."

"Don't concern yourself with it," Rupert said, his voice cracking slightly. "I'm used to it. I'm sorry, but I won't be able to join the Caliosteo Patrol Team. From now on, just leave me alone."

[Rupert.] Dina took a step forward, trying to reach out to hold his hand but he stepped back, shaking his head.

"You know, I remember a time when I thought Fossil Battles were fun." Tears began to fall from his eyes. "I loved my vivosaurs and I think they really did speak to me...I felt excited when I battled with them. But at some point, I stopped being a carefree child and became just a walking advertisement for FossilDig, Inc. And the more famous I got, the less I was allowed to be myself. That's when Fossil Battles stopped being fun. They were just work. And eventually...they bored me. And yet, when I was with you, Dina...For just a moment...I remembered how I used to feel. Thank you...my friends. And good-bye." He let out a sob and raced away. Dina longed to follow, but she stood frozen in shock.

They received a message stating that Round 5 would be held in the morning. Pauleen tried to cheer Dina up with a pep talk, but she could barely even hear her. She turned and stumbled to her room.

 **This was probably the longest chapter yet! And before you freak out; no, Cole and Lola are not actually brother and sister. The reason he called her that will be explained in the future.**


	8. Belly of the Bonehemoth

"I hate that kid!" Lester flopped down onto the couch, fuming from his recent loss. Cole and Lola sat nearby. Cole stared at him, sympathy flashing in his eyes for a moment.

"I told you that kid was strong," he said. Lester glared at him before his shoulders slumped.

"Yeah, I guess," he sighed. "That rich kid friend of hers is just as bad."

"Don't worry you two," Lola assured them. "We'll, like, get them back in my plan. We'll show them what the BareBones Brigade is made of." The two boys laughed and cheered in agreement.

"I can't wait to see the look on that kid's face when we smash her vivosaurs to pieces!" Lester sneered. Cole nodded and got up.

"Where are you goin'?" Lester asked him.

"Oh, back to my room," Cole answered. "I've got some stuff to do. Things to work on."

"Like, what?" Lola raised a brow. "Since when did you work, man?"

"Since a couple days ago." Cole headed off to his room, humming a soft tune to himself. He sat down on his bed and opened up his laptop, smiling to himself.

 _Oh, she's in for a surprise when she sees this,_ he thought, letting a soft chuckle escape his throat.

~...~

The next morning Dina headed to the Stadium. If her vivosaurs had tried to say anything to her, she didn't hear them. She barely even had the strength to sign anything and even then it was weak and shaky. Still, she had to go through the Round and shoved her emotions aside long enough to focus on the battle. She didn't hear much of what Joanie and Madame Pooch said to her before they started the battle.

She kept Mayrah out in front. The ice under their feet was slippery and the Vivosaurs slid around. Riptide slammed into the Marple in front, sending it skidding across the ice. The yellow Gomp slammed its trunk into Riptide and Mayrah quickly flicked a few scales at it, defeating it instantly. The Marple send a powerful wave of water towards Peak as the the blue Gomp went after Riptide. Mayrah quickly took it out with a few scales. The Marple managed to defeat Riptide, but Mayrah ended the battle by slamming it to the wall.

Todd met them in the lobby and congratulated Dina as always. She just nodded silently. He frowned and turned to Joanie and Madame Pooch, saying something to them. Minister Pomposa then approached, allowing Madame Pooch to stay on the island. Todd grinned, happy for the pup. He turned to Dina, but his face fell when he realized she wasn't smiling.

"Come on, Dina, don't worry," he said softly. "I'm sure we'll be fine without Rupert…! Dina, please sign something...Come on, he'll come to his senses and realize he's being an idiot. I'm sure he was just upset about his dad, he'll come back." Before he could say anything else they were notified of a new dig site being open. "Hey, some fossil digging ought to take you mind off this! Let's go!" He raced away. After a few minutes, Dina slowly began to follow.

When she got there she noticed that Pauleen was practicing speaking again, this time to an ice sculpture. She noticed Dina approaching and quickly rushed to put her mask back on.

"You were spying on me, weren't you, Dina?" She asked. Dina nodded. "Y-you're a terrible person! Do you know what? You don't spy on people when they're embarrassing themselves!" Her anger vanished when she noticed Dina flinch. "I'm sorry. I guess it's not really your fault. So, um...I guess you want to know what I was doing just now, huh? Well, I'll tell you, Dina, but only because it's you...I was...practicing how to talk to people. Oh, I admit it! I'm a fraud! I act boastful and snobby, but I'm actually totally shy and terrified! I can't even talk to people! I get all nervous and jittery and then everything just...falls apart. Whenever I meet someone I don't know, my face gets all red and my tongue starts tripping on itself. Anyway, the only way I can get around it is by wearing this mask. It's a magical mask, see? It gives whoever wears it a cheerful, sunny personality. It's one of my village's greatest treasures."

 _I wouldn't quite say that personality is 'sunny',_ Peak joked. Dina ignored him.

"And yet, I want nothing more than to be free of this mask forever," Pauleen continued. "I want to talk with my own voice and see with my own eyes, but...I'm too scared to do it. So that's why I was practicing. So, um, what do you think, Dina?"

Dina stayed silent.

"Ugh, sorry!" Pauleen groaned. "I keep forgetting...wait. You spoke earlier. You snapped at Rupert's dad. How? Why? I thought you couldn't speak! You didn't lie, did you…!? Then again, it did seem to hurt...did it hurt to talk?"

Dina nodded.

"Oh, I guess that explains that...Sorry. So, um, do you think I'll ever be able to take off this mask?"

Another nod.

"R-really?" Pauleen smiled. "You really think so? Heh. It's kinda funny. But when you said that, I actually felt a little more brave. I'm going to keep trying, and I'm going to fight with everything I have. And before the Cup ends, I'm going to take off this mask for good! I swear it, Dina. I'm not going to let myself fail. Just...maybe you can cheer me on when I do, okay? I'm glad it was you who saw me, Dina. I think I would have died if it was anyone else. Still, I should probably find someplace even more secret to practice, huh? See ya, Dina. And thanks for listening. I'll be sure to talk to Todd about teaching me sign language, too!" she rushed away, leaving Dina alone to wander the plateau.

She came across Professor Scatterly again who was fast asleep on the ice. She immediately knew that was not a good sign and rushed to wake him. Todd joined her within moments and helped her in waking the Professor. The Professor gave Todd a lecture on the Calio Slablets and Dina stopped paying attention. She was snapped back to focus by Joe, who contacted them.

"Howdy there, pards," he greeted. "It's me, Joe, and I'm afraid we got a problem on our hands. I need the Patrol Team to mount up and gather in my suite immediately."

"Joe sounded worried," Todd observed. "We better get over there right away! A-achoo!" Unfortunately, Todd had gotten sick and would not be able to help. Professor Scatterly told Dina to go on and that he would help her childhood friend. Dina nodded and headed back to Cranial City.

Once she joined Joe and Pauleen, she signed a quick explanation of what had happened to Todd.

"Well then, I reckon that's all we have of the Patrol Team today," Joe sighed.

"Actually, Rupert should be here, too," Pauleen said. "He-" she stopped when she noticed the pained look on Dina's face. "Anyway, what's this about, Joe? You said it was serious."

"Keep this under yer hat, but some varmint went and stole our Super Electrominites," Joe said. "They're extremely rare fossils that put out a near preposterous amount of energy. In fact, this entire fossil park runs on just three of 'em. A little while ago, three intruders busted into all the park's Fighter Stations. They went straight to the generator rooms and made off with the Super Electrominites. We're runnin' on regular Electrominites right now, but I reckon them boys ain't gonna last much longer."

"Wh-what happens then?" Pauleen asked.

"Nothin' good, I'm afraid," Joe sighed. "Lights'll go out...Auto-doors won't open...KL-33n and all them VMMs will fail...We'll pretty much be sittin' in the dark, I reckon. And forget about cleanin' or revivin' yer fossil rocks!"

"That's terrible!" Pauleen gasped. "It would be the end of the entire Caliosteo Fossil Park!"

"I know," Joe said. "That's why we gotta recover them Super Electrominites as soon as possible. I've heard rumors that the culprits are hidin' out at one'a the dig sites. I sent Stella, Terry, and Kent out to try and track 'em down, and I'm hopin ya'll can join the search."

"Of course!" Pauleen replied. "Dina and I won't stand by while a bunch of jerks shut down this park!"

Joe sent them back to Icegrip Plateau. Pauleen tried to strike up a chat with Dina on the way there, but the Fighter remained still and silent. They almost ran right into Rupert on the way out of the Fighter Station.

"Rupert!" Pauleen's eyes brightened.

"What?" he spat, trying to avoid looking at them. "I told you I wanted nothing to do with you people. Now if you'll excuse me-"

"You shut the hell up right now!" Pauleen snapped back. Rupert blinked, taken aback by her harsh tone. "Just _shut up_! We need your help, okay? Todd's sick and Dina's barely functioning since you just up and left us like that! I get that you were upset, but you can't keep ignoring us! You need us and we need you!" Rupert glanced over at Dina for a moment.

"Help you?" He questioned. "I'm sorry, but what part of 'leave me alone' do you fail to understand?"

"All of it!" Pauleen huffed. "Listen, Rupert, someone stole the Super Electrominites that power this park. If we don't get them back, no one will be able to clean or revive fossils. The park will lose all power and shutdown. Joe asked Dina and I to search Icegrip Plateau, so that's where we're headed. Come on, Rupert! We need you, _especially_ Dina! I can't understand sign language-and even if I could that wouldn't change anything! She's just been emotionally numb since yesterday! Not even _Todd_ could get her to smile and she hasn't signed a single word to us all day!" He looked back to Dina, who stared at him with a pleading look in her eyes. He frowned and tore his gaze away from her.

"This is none of my concern," he said. "Excuse me." He turned and began to walk away. Pauleen took a step forward.

"You say that, but I know it's a lie!" She called to Rupert, stopping him. "Deep down, you love battling, Rupert. I know you do. And you'd be heartbroken if they canceled the Cup! And you care a lot about Dina! It's time to be honest with your feelings! It's time to show some backbone and stop being your father's puppet!" Rupert said nothing in response. He took off running to the cleaning room. Dina started to follow, but then stopped herself.

"I can't believe I told him to show some backbone," Pauleen sighed. Dina turned back to her. "I'm not even brave enough to take this stupid mask off. I don't have the right to yell at anyone...Well, this is no time to be feeling sorry for myself. We've got to hurry."

They rushed to the dig site and skidded to a halt as they were greeted by a girl their age.

"Oh, heeey," she said to them. "You made it. Cool. I kinda thought you'd be here sooner but...yeah. Yeah, like, this is a pretty big deal and all, so I was expecting someone to find us sooner."

"You're with the BareBones Brigade!" Pauleen growled.

"Toootally," the girl confirmed. "Although actually, I'm one of the three BareBones Brigade commanders. I'm the gooooovy chick, Lola. Soooo, did you dig my plan to steal the Super Electrominites? 'Cause I thought it was tooootally wicked. See, 'cause if you can't clean or revive, then, like, there's not going to be a Cup, man. It's gonna tooootally harsh the mellow of every Fighter in this park, man. I can't waaait."

"You won't get away with this, hippie!" Pauleen snapped. "Give back those Super Electrominites!"

"Yeaaah, but noooo. I don't think you were listening to me." Lola rolled her eyes. "Remember the part where I, like, said I wanted the Fighters to be all sad about the Cup? So then, I'm prooobably not gonna give the Super Electrominites back."

"Fine then," Pauleen huffed. "We'll just settle this with a Fossil Battle!"

"Oh, man," Lola laughed. "That's, like, tooo funny." She snapped her fingers and Cole and Lester walked in to stand beside her.

"Well, well," Cole sneered. "If it isn't the Fighter who ruined my awesome plan! I am very excited to see you again, kiddo. You have no idea." Lester took a few threatening steps towards Dina.

"I'm going to thrash you good for what you did to me at Mt. Krakanak!" He snapped. Pauleen did not enjoy the odds.

"I don't know if we can take on all three of these creeps, Dina," she whispered.

"We won before it's begun," Lola said. "Oh, man, that tooootally rhymed. Like, cool."

"It seems that all three BB Brigade commanders suffer from a terminal case of overconfidence. I would appreciate it quite a bit if you would back away from my friends." Rupert walked over, head held high. He stood close to Dina, glaring defiantly at Lester.

"Rupert!?" Pauleen squeaked in shock. "B-but...why!?"

"Because you were right," Rupert answered, turning to her. "Because I need to start being more honest with myself. I like this Cup, and I'm looking forward to facing Dina in a Fossil Battle. And I really do care for her and for you and Todd as well. Dina, I'm so sorry for what I said to you-for what I put you through."

[It's okay,] she signed to him, smiling a little. [You're here now. That's all that matters.]

"Rupert, you're the best!" Pauleen laughed. They turned to the BareBones Brigade commanders. "Ha! Now it's three-on-three, losers!"

"Man, this is tooootally, like, annoying," Lola groaned. "Cole? Lester? It's time to take out the recycling, man."

Peak bit into the B-Lambeo's back and the B-Terra went after Riptide, pecking his frill. He let out a furious roar and knocked it away with his horns. The B-Ptera turned on Peak instead, making him fall asleep. Riptide took it out and Peak woke up. The B-Lambeo slammed into Riptide while the B-Brachio slammed its tail into Peak. He and Riptide worked together to defeat the B-Lambeo. Mayrah sent some sharp scales at the B-Brachio, but it managed to hang in long enough to take out Peak before reverting back into a Dino Medal.

"This is a tooootal bummer, man," Lola complained. Cole and Lester let out furious cries and grumbles of agreement.

"All right, chumps!" Pauleen stepped forward. "Hand over the Super Electrominites!" Rupert and Dina joined her, but before anyone could anything else, the ground began to rumble and shake. Dina slid on the ice and Rupert grabbed her, holding her up.

A great head appeared from the water and then everything went black.

~...~

"Dina? Dina, please answer me."

"Is she dead!? Oh, Dina, please don't be dead! We can't lose you!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Pauleen, she isn't dead. She's breathing."

Dina groaned softly, slowly blinking her eyes open. She could see Rupert kneeling beside her and Pauleen standing behind them, their eyes filled with concern. Rupert sighed in relief and helped her up when he realized she was awake. He looked around the cavern.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"Well, we were at Icegrip Plateau," Pauleen said. "and then there was that huge wave and...Oh no! We've been swallowed by a whale! W-we're going to be digested!" She began to cry.

"Slap a fish and call me roughly!" A voice echoed off the walls of the whale's insides. "I come over to investigate all this racket, and instead I find company!" They turned as a man with a green ball and fishing pole walked over to them.

"Oh, um, hello," Pauleen greeted. "Do you...live here?"

"The name's Robinson," the man introduced himself. "And it's a right pleasure to meetcha. This whale's called the Bonehemoth, see, and he likes to chew on ice cubes. So there I was, doing a bit'a fishin' on an ice flow, when up he swims, cool as you please. Dangnab fish up and swallowed me in one bite! That was near ten years ago now, give or take a few."

"You've been here for ten years!?" Pauleen shrieked. "By yourself!?"

"Naw, I ain't by m'self," Robinson answered. "I done gone and made a friend, see? Lemmie introduce you to m'best friend in the whole, wide whale...Balliver!" He held out the green ball. "Now, Balliver, where's your manners? Go on and say hello to the nice folks now! Uh-huh. Yeah, I know. It's gonna be a lot louder with all these folks here. Well, Balliver, that's good to hear. I'm glad to have company m'self."

"That's just a ball with a face drawn on it," Pauleen whispered.

"Perhaps his loneliness was so great he felt the need to invent a friend," Rupert whispered back.

"Aw, look at me!" Robinson said. "Flappin' m'gums while you stand there ankle deep in chum. You folks should wander around! See the sights! Get acquainted with your new home. This here Bonehemoth swallows all kinds of stuff, so if you want it, you can probably find it. In fact, take a look over yonder."

"Oh. My. Gosh," Pauleen gasped. She rushed to the VMM and KL-33N. "Aw, nuts. The teleporter is broken!"

"Robinson, is there any way to escape from this place?" Rupert asked.

"Escape?" Robinson frowned. "Fish guts! Why would you wanna go and do a thing like that!? Well, if you're serious, I s'pose you could take it up with Lord Tonzilla. He's whatcha might call the supreme ruler of this place, see? He's at the top of the food chain and at the top of the Bonehemoth's digestive tract! If you folks could defeat Lord Tonzilla, you might be able to leave this place. But I can't imagine why you'd wanna do such a thing! And neither can Balliver." He turned and fled.

"Ok, I don't care what the crazy man thinks," Pauleen said. "We have to beat Lord Tonzilla and get out of here!"

"I'd hate to play the optimist, but at least we can still excavate, clean and revive fossil rocks here," Rupert added. "And besides, it's nice to be with you again."

"Well, I'm going on ahead," Pauleen backed away. "See you later!" She turned and raced off, leaving Rupert and Dina alone.

"Dina, are you alright?" Rupert asked.

[I'm fine, really,] Dina insisted. [What about you?]

"I'm fine, too," he replied. "I was the first to wake up after we got...swallowed. Was what Pauleen said really true? About you not signing anything?"

[Yes,] Dina reluctantly answered. She had wished he didn't bring it up, but there was no use trying to avoid it. The subject would eventually come up and it was best they talked about it it sooner than later. [When you left and practically ended our friendship I...went into shock. I tried to push it back in my Round 5 match, but that just made me feel worse. I just...a lot's happened in the past year or so and it's caught up to me. Don't worry about it.]

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Oh, I'm an idiot! I told you so much about my father but I never thought to ask about your family. What are they like?"

[My dad died in a car wreck,] Dina explained. [Mom...wasn't around. It's just me and my brother, Dino, now. Our uncle took care of us for a while, but now he's out of country for a new job. Dino took over in his absence so it's just the two of us now. It's been exactly ten years since dad passed.] Rupert stiffened before he pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm so sorry. I'm an idiot-a stupid, selfish idiot. Why didn't you-oh, nevermind that's my fault too, I never gave you the chance. I'm sorry." Dina smiled and slowly pulled herself back.

[I get it, you're a sorry idiot,] she signed.

"I am!" Rupert pulled her back into the hug. Dina relaxed against him and everything that had happened within the past few days began to flood into her mind. She buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed. Rupert sat in silence, holding her close as she cried. Pauleen peered around the corner and stared at him as if asking what he had done.

'I didn't do anything!' he mouthed. 'It's just been a long couple of days for her is all.' Pauleen nodded in understanding and walked away. Rupert shifted, slowly sliding back and reaching up to wipe away Dina's remaining tears.

"I promise I'll never leave you like that again," he said. "But, you...when my father was yelling at me, you spoke. I thought you couldn't speak...Were you lying to me?"

[No, I can still talk, but it hurts,] Dina explained. [I was in the car with my dad when…Anyway, there's a surgery that could give me my voice back, but my family can't afford it. That's sort of why I entered the Cup in the first place. I enjoy Fossil Battles, really, and I was excited to see Joe Wildwest again after he saved Todd and I two years ago and gave me Mayrah, but I was under the impression that the grand prize would be a lot of money; enough to pay for the surgery. I didn't expect it to be the Park. And then I promised Todd I'd defeat you after you were so rude to him…My older brother, Devin, is the one who convinced me to enter in the first place. He'd be devastated if he found out that I dropped out. He'd have joined himself, but he's been working several jobs to keep up with bills and he didn't want to leave me by myself for too long. Our uncle is the only relative that cares about us.] Rupert frowned and figured it was best to change the subject.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get out of this whale." Dina nodded and they got to their feet. They walked together, staying close to one another. Dina stopped as she spotted the three BareBones Brigade commanders standing together and complaining. They spotted the two and immediately turned to them.

"This is, like, all your fault," Lola said. "You're a toootal buzz kill."

"Yeah!" Cole agreed. "If you hadn't meddled with our plans, none of this would have happened! We'd be ruling the Caliosteo Islands and not trapped inside some stupid fish."

"Back off!" Rupert stood in front of Dina and glared at them. "Why do you even want the islands?"

"Like I'd tell you!" Lester laughed. "We've got plans! Big plans! Really...really big plans."

"Yes, because your plans definitely have worked in the past," Rupert spat bitterly.

"You want a fight, rich boy!?" Cole snapped.

[Stop it!] Dina darted around Rupert and stood between them. [I don't like you guys and it's clear you don't like me, but we're stuck in here together so we might as well work together until we're out.]

"What's she saying?" Cole questioned, looking away. "I-I can't understand a thing she's signing and I don't think Lester and Lola can either." Rupert rolled his eyes.

"She said that we're stuck here together and we should make a temporary truce to get out," he translated. "Frankly, I'm not a fan of the idea, but it's the only good one we've got. Surely you should at least know sign language if you plan to take over the islands?"

"Look, our boss, Don Boneyard, told us to cancel the Cup and drive off Fighters, so that's what we're doing," Cole said with a small shrug. "Little details like what language to know weren't included. We'll deal with other stuff when the time comes.

"Sooo, like, you're not even a member of Don Boneyard's evil gang, right?" Lola questioned. "So maybe you should stay out of this and, like, stop asking questions." The group rudely turned away from the two.

"It seems they aren't up for that truce after all," Rupert sighed as he turned back to Dina. "Come on, let's go catch up to Pauleen." He led her away from the commanders. At the end of the path, Pauleen was waiting a little impatiently.

"About time," she said. "I think that Lord Tonzilla thing is up ahead."

"Thank you, Pauleen," Rupert replied. "Are you ready, Dina?" Dina nodded and the three headed towards Lord Tonzilla.

"It's just a giant tonsil!" Pauleen observed. "Stand back, kids! Pauleens gonna perform a little oral surgery on this loser!" She raced forward and gave it a few kicks. Rupert grabbed her and tried to pull her away from it.

"Pauleen, no!" He shouted. "Stop kicking it!" Lord Tonzilla swung around and knocked the two away, before turning on Dina. It tried to do the same to her, but Fury and Peak leaped out of their medals. It didn't take long for them to defeat the tonsil. Dina turned to her friends, who had recovered from the attack and were making their way back to her.

"I never thought I'd be pummeled by a giant pink tonsil," Pauleen said. "It's a little embarrassing. Rupert, on the other hand, was examining the defeated tonsil.

"I fail to understand how this thing will help us escape the whale," he mumbled. "Dina are you injured at all?"

[I'm okay,] Dina answered. [Peak and Fury defeated Lord Tonzilla before it could do anything to me.]

 _It wasn't exactly very hard,_ Fury stated. _A tonsil is no match for vivosaurs._

"Y-you actually did it! You knocked out Lord Tonzilla!" Robinson walked over to them, eyes wide. "There's a flood a'comin' now, and no denyin'. Come on, Balliver! We've gotta get to the boat! All aboard who's goin' aboard!" He ran off before he could explain anything.

"I think Robinson's lost what's left of his mind," Pauleen said. "How can knocking over a tonsil cause a flood?" The Bonehemoth seemed to give a great shudder. The flesh beneath the Fighters' feet began to rumble and shake.

"Perhaps Robinson is not quite the madman we took him for," Rupert said softly. "You know how a gag reflex can be triggered by stimulating the tonsil? Well, perhaps…."

"Wait a second, so what you're saying is going to happen-" Pauleen never got to finish before a wave crashed into them. The next thing they knew they were in the air and falling into the freezing water below. Rupert swam to the surface, coughing.

"Dina?" He called. "Pauleen? Where are you? Answer me, please!"

"I'm here!" Pauleen called back to him. "Dina too! I need help, I don't think she can swim!" Rupert cursed under his breath and spotted the two struggling in the water. Pauleen was desperately trying to keep her head above water while helping Dina stay up as well. Rupert swam over to them, helping Dina back to the shore. They climbed up onto the ice, shivering and panting.

"That was horrible!" Pauleen whined. "Let's agree to never do that again!"

"I second that decision." Rupert scowled. Dina pressed herself close to Rupert and he wrapped an arm around her, helping her up. Pauleen got up as well.

"Let's please go back to Joe," she said. "I want to get someplace warm."

"I hope the BB Brigade trio escaped," Rupert said. "Despite their intentions, no one deserves to be trapped in a whale."

"Wait, you're worried about me? Reeeally?" Lola approached them with Lester and Cole close behind. "What a trip, man. Maybe this means the rich kid, like, likes me."

"I most certainly do not." Rupert grimaced at the suggestion. "I'd rather make out with Todd before I even think of liking you."

"Yeah, well, I gotta split the scene and hose myself down," Lola sighed, waving her hand dismissively. "You should have these." She handed Dina the Super Electrominites.

"I...I don't understand," Pauleen stammered. "Why are you giving these back to us?"

"Like, we heard it was you that made the Bonehemoth horf us up, right?" Lola raised a brow. "Sooo, that means you saved our lives, which is weird, because you're, like, our mortal enemies. Anyway, it's bad juju to leave a debt like that unpaid. So we're all square now, riiiight?"

"Are Cole and Lester okay with this?" Pauleen asked. The two boys shrugged.

"Hey, this is Lola's crazy plan," Cole stated. "I just do what she tells me." Lester nodded in agreement."

"Sooo, this is, like, a one time thing," Lola said. "Next time we meet, I'm tooootally going to flip your wig." The three commanders walked away.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but they're not all that bad." Pauleen still looked surprised.

[They are just kids like us,] Dina pointed out.

"She said they're kids like us," Rupert translated. "We can discuss the relative merits of our enemies later. Right now, each of us should take a Super Electrominite to an island and warm up."


	9. The Cursed Mask

"I feel horrible for losin' like that again." Lester stared down at his shoes, frowning. He wasn't even angry like he usually would have been; losing twice in a row had defeated him in more ways than just physically. Lola and Cole nodded in agreement.

"I don't quite agree with you giving back those Super Electrominites, Lola, but I guess I can understand why you did it," Cole said. "I mean, they did sort of help us. Now that I think about it, I feel bad for refusing that truce...it might have helped us a little more to accept it." Lola turned to him.

"You're not, like, losing your pride, are you?" She asked. Cole's face turned red.

"N-no!" he sputtered. "I'm not! Don't ever ask me that again, I'd never lose my pride! I'm just saying they might not be so bad…"

"Wow, sounds kind of traitorous to me." Lester poked Cole in his side. Cole swatted his hand away.

"I'm not traitorous!" he spat, leaping to his feet and glaring at his two fellow commanders. "How could I turn my back on Don Boneyard after he took us in when we only had each other!? After he saved us from starving on the streets and sleeping in abandoned buildings and boxes!? How _dare_ you accuse me on turning my back on the only person who's ever cared for us!? I'm going back to my room." He turned and stormed away. If his door didn't slide open and closed, he would have slammed it shut. He took out his laptop, mumbling something to himself.

Cole and Lester watched him leave before turning to one another.

"You think we went too far?" Lester asked. Lola shrugged.

"He's been acting, like, craaazy since he lost to that Dina girl," Lola replied. "I think that loss is getting to him. It's, like, eating away at his sanity and he's obsessed with getting even."

"Well, enough about him," Lester huffed. "What do you think Don Boneyard's got in mind for his next big plan? I hope it involves smashin' stuff!"

"I bet it does." Lola tipped her head in thought. "I, like, heard the islands are held up by these Spinal Pillar things. I bet he wants to do something with those."

~...~

The three met in Joe's suite after returning the Super Electrominites to their rightful places.

"Yeeee-haw!" Joe was more than proud of them. "Ya'll done recovered the Super Electrominites from them BB Brigade varmints! Thanks to you, we've got power back in the entire park. That's some fine work, Dina and Pauleen...oh, and you, too, Rupert." Rupert stole a glance at Dina, who nodded to him encouragingly. He stepped forward.

"Pardon me, Joe," he said. "I have a favor to ask of you. I...I would like to be allowed to join the Caliosteo Patrol Team. I want to protect the Caliosteo Cup, no matter what." Dina was grinning ear to ear. She leaped forward, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. Rupert let out an 'oof' and stumbled, barely able to stop himself from falling.

"You kiddin'?" Joe smiled at the two. "I oughta be on my hands 'n' kness beggin' ya to join! Rupert, I hereby name ya as a full-fledged member of the Caliosteo Patrol Team. Now listen up. We only got two rounds left in this here Cup. The BB Brigade's runnin' out of time, and there's nothin' more dangerous than a cornered rat! Y'all gotta be on yer guard, all right? Do whatever it takes to save the Cup for Fighters everywhere!" The three nodded.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Rupert?" Pauleen asked as they stepped out of the elevator. "Your father's going to be furious." Rupert took a deep breath.

"Most likely," he said. "But that's all right. I've decided it's time for me to show a little backbone. I'm going to tell my father what I think and let the chips fall where they may."

[I'm proud of you,] Dina signed to him. [I'll stand beside you when you speak to your father about this.]

"All right, if you can do it, then so can I!" Pauleen announced. "Remember my promise, Dina? Well, I'm going to be brave and take off this mask for good! I'll probably blush like crazy and stammer when I talk to people, but...I think I'm okay with that now. For the rest of the Cup, people will see my face! Here we go!"

"What is she…?" Rupert stared at Dina, expecting an answer. Dina kept her hands still and smiled at Pauleen. Pauleen reached up, tugging on her mask.

"Okay, that's weird," she said. "It won't come off." She tried again and again but the mask stayed on her face. "Oh my gosh! The mask won't come off! What do I do, what do I do, what do I dooooooo!? I'm cursed! I'm gonna have this mask on for the rest of my life!" Panicked, the poor girl took off running.

"I...am very confused," Rupert said. "Dina, is that some kind of special mask?"

[She said it gives the wearer a sunny personality and a massive boost in confidence,] Dina told him. [We need to go calm her down and help her. Maybe the air inside the Bonehemoth made it shrink or something.] He nodded and they hurried down the stairs. A man stood at the bottom, calling out for Pauleen to come back.

"You are...friends of Pauleen, digadig?" he asked Dina and Rupert. "Ah, yes. It seems you are, diga. I...am the chieftain of the Digadig people from Vivosaur Island. I am also Pauleen's grandfather, digadig. The mask that Pauleen wears is enchanted with a spell of ill will, digadig. It gives the wearer confidence and cheer, diga. But there is a price. Once it takes hold it is impossible to remove. The mask becomes the master, digadig. When I learned Pauleen took the mask, I came right away. But, digadig, I came too late. I cannot pursue her, diga. I am too old and my back is too sore. Please, digadig! You must help me dear Pauleen!" Dina and Rupert shared a horrified look.

"Time is short, Dina," Rupert said. "I'll search Mt. Krakanak if you take Rainbow Canyon, agreed?" They wished each other luck as they parted ways and raced to the dig sites. Dina managed to track Pauleen to the cave where Cole had been holding the female fighters prisoner.

"No, Dina!" Pauleen cried out. "Stay away from me! I...I have no control over my body! The mask makes me attack everyone I see! P-please…you have to...run…"

[I won't abandon you!] Dina tossed out her Dino Medals.

Riptide charged into the Berto immediately, and, as usual, Fury joined in on the attack. The Berta slammed into Riptide's side, knocking him unconscious for a moment. Mayrah defeated it instantly with a flick of her wings. Riptide woke in time to see the Berto bite down on her leg. He let out a roar of Fury and charged, sending it back into its Dino Medal. Mayrah slammed her tail into the Krypto's side, knocking it back and ending the battle.

The mask clattered to the floor. Pauleen, elated, hugged Dina. Dina squeaked, her face turning red from embarrassment. Rupert arrived moments later.

"Heh, that's amusing," he chuckled. "The mask is off, but the one who's red in the face is Dina." Pauleen and Dina leaped away from each other in surprise and Rupert laughed at the sight. The chieftain walked in moments later.

"Look, Grandpa, look!" Pauleen smiled at him. "The mask came off! Diga diga digadig!"

"This makes me very happy, diga!" Her grandfather smiled.

"Hard to believe this little mask caused so much trouble," Rupert huffed. "This is a dangerous item. It might be best for everyone if we destroyed it here and now."

"No, please!" Pauleen shoved him away from it as he tried to grab the mask. "Don't break the mask, digadig! This is all my fault, diga. I'm the one who took the mask without permission. And besides, it diga- _did_ help me for a while, so it's not totally evil. You should take it back to the village, Grandpa...digadig?" Rupert gave a small shrug.

"If this is your wish, Pauleen." he said. "I will defer it to you." Dina nodded in agreement.

"You have changed, Pauleen," Pauleen's grandfather spoke. "You are talking to others, diga-despite having no mask."

"I know, digadig! It's awesome! I owe this all to my friends, digadig." She turned to Rupert and Dina her grin returning. "They taught me to trust my feelings, diga. They showed me I could just be myself."

"It does my heart good to see you grow before my very eyes," the cheiftan said. They received a message on their Paleopagers that the semifinals would be held the following day.

"Perhaps that's not an altogether bad thing," Rupert said. "We could all use some rest after the events of today."

[I know!] Dina signed. [Why don't we have a sleepover in my room? We can play games and chat and-and-] Rupert chuckled and gently placed his hands over hers. Mayrah growled in Dina's mind.

"Alright, crazy hands," he teased. "That sounds like a great idea, actually. Let's hurry and get our stuff so we can get to the fun things."

"Oh, don't forget Todd!" Pauleen said. "He'll never let us forgive us if we don't let him in on it!"

~...~

Dina and Rupert were already in Dina's room, chatting quietly with one another. Their vivosaurs had already fallen asleep, so Dina's mind was most likely going to be quiet for the rest of the night unless one of them woke up.

"Sorry I'm so diga-dang late!" Pauleen burst into the room, Todd right behind her. "I had to get my stuff and drag Todd here!"

"What are we all doing together again?" Todd asked.

[Are you feeling better?] Dina signed to him. He smiled and nodded.

"Yep! All better now! But seriously, why are we here?"

"Well, Dina decided to have a sleepover in here," Rupert explained. "Since the semifinals are tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah," Pauleen sat down and frowned. "That means only two people will advance. So no matter what, one of us is going to be leaving the Cup. I've been thinking about it and it makes me sort of sad…"

"Then dont," Todd told her, grinning. "Let's not talk about our sad feelings, okay? Yeah, we're all sad, but Dina called us here to have fun, not mope around!"

"Well, there's something I need to say first," Rupert started. He shifted nervously and took a deep breath. "Something I've never told you, Dina, but this seems like a good time. It's something I've been thinking about for a long time, now. Something that drives me to compete. It's even enough to make me forget the sadness I feel about the end of the Caliosteo Cup. I guess you could say it's a wish. A very special wish..."

"Your undying lo-" Rupert placed his hand in Todd's face and shoved him over before he could finish. Pauleen let out a soft snort as she tried to hide her laughter.

"No, my wish is to face Dina in the final!" Rupert announced. Pauleen and Todd looked disappointed in the answer. "You're the one who reminded me of the joys of Fossil Battles, Dina, and that's why I want to face you in my final battle. But there's something else I want to do for you; I want to pay for the surgery for you to get your voice back. It's the least I can do for you after you've done so much for me." Dina stiffened, her eyes widening. For a moment, Rupert was scared she might be upset with him, but then her eyes flooded with tears and she wrapped her arms around him. Todd and Pauleen joined in on the hug.

"You really are a great guy, Rupert!" Todd laughed.

"Yes, yes, you're welcome, but please get off. You're all crushing me," Rupert said, smiling. They let go of him, but Dina stayed close to him.

[We'll do the best we can,] Dina said. [In the semifinals, I mean. Once it's over, we can always hang out afterwards. And since one of us will own the Park, it will always be open for each other.] Todd translated for Pauleen and she and Rupert nodded in agreement.

"Well, enough mushy, sappy emotions!" Todd said. "I think it's time we kick off this sleepover with a good old game of truth or dare!" There were groans from the other three kids, but no one really objected to the idea.

"Fine, but you go first," Rupert said. "Truth or dare, Todd?"

"I don't trust you, so gimmie a truth," Todd answered.

"Have you ever gossiped about anyone in this room?" Rupert questioned. Todd hesitated for a moment.

"Yyyes," he admitted. "I have. Not saying who, though. Okay, Pauleen! Truth or dare?"

"I'm going to be boring and say truth," Pauleen answered.

"Are you a good cook?" Todd asked her. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm a great cook!" She grinned. "I can make a great blueberry pie! Dina, Truth or diga-Dare!"

[Truth,] Dina answered. She got some annoyed looks from that. [Hey, I'm not taking a dare until I know what I'm up against.]

"Oh, fine, what are your parents like?" She asked. "You've never mentioned them before, digadig." Todd and Rupert both shared a concerned look.

[My mom left when I was really young and my dad died in the car wreck that took away my voice,] Dina answered. [I live with my brother, Devin.] Rupert translated for her this time.

"I'm so sorry!" Pauleen's hands flew to her mouth. "I diga-didn't mean to-!"

"It's alright, Pauleen," Todd interrupted her. "There's no way you could have known."

[Rupert, Truth or Dare?] Dina grinned at her friend. Rupert wasn't sure whether to trust that smile or not.

"Dare." His fate was sealed, he knew that much. But if he was going down he was going to go down fighting.

[You have to kiss someone on the cheek,] Dina signed. [We-as in Todd, Pauleen and I-will choose who.] Rupert stared at her. How was he going to go down fighting with _that_ dare? He thought he heard laughter within his mind, but decided it was just his imagination. Dina counted down and then she pointed at Todd but both Todd and Pauleen pointed at her.

"What!?" Todd yelped. "Why _me_!?"

[Because when we fought Lola earlier Rupert said he'd rather kiss you than go on a date with her!] Dina answered. She shot a furious look to Pauleen. [Dammit, Pauleen, you're supposed to be on _my_ side!]

"All's fair in Truth or Dare, Dina!" Pauleen laughed. Rupert, meanwhile, was completely red-faced. He leaned in and gave Dina a quick peck on the cheek and the two flustered teens turned away from each other while their friends laughed.

"Ugh, Todd, truth or dare?" Rupert asked, shooting him a glare.

"Truth," Todd answered.

"Coward." Rupert stuck his tongue out at him. "Alright then, are you a heavy or light sleeper?" Todd tipped his head in thought.

"I think I'm a light sleeper-hey, wait a minute! Why do you want to know that?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "You better not be planning anything, Rupert!"

[You are _not_ a light sleeper,] Dina signed. [You slept through an entire _parade_ going down your street once!] Todd tried to shush her by grabbing her hands, but she grinned and slid away from him.

"Oh, fine then. Dina, truth or dare?"

[Dare,] She answered.

"I dare you to draw a mustache on your face," Todd grinned and pulled out a marker. Dina raised a brow before taking it and heading into the bathroom. Moments later she came back out with a curly mustache drawn on her face. The others all burst out laughing and her shoulders shook with a giggle of her own.

[Pauline, truth or dare?]

"Give me a diga-dare," She answered.

[You are now Christina for the rest of the game. You will be only referred to as Christina.] Dina signed.

"What kind of a diga-dare is that!?" Pauline huffed.

"Oh, come on, Christina, don't be so sour." Rupert grinned.

The game continued for some time before the group decided to switch to watching movies together. They drifted off to sleep at some point in the night. Rupert's back was pressed against the bed, Dina's head resting on his shoulder. Todd was fast asleep with his head in Rupert's lap while Pauleen slept on the bed one of her arms hanging off the side. For the first time since the tournament began, the four felt truly at peace.


	10. The Last Resort

**A big thanks to Pandamoniam for pointing out something I really should have been doing from the start! I've gone through and updated the chapters with little line breaks so hopefully scene changes won't be so confusing now. It's a little early for me to be posting this chapter, but the cable man will be over to fix our TVs and the internet might get shut off so I want to get this out sooner than later.**

The next morning Dina and her friends woke up and had breakfast together before heading off to get ready for the semifinals. Dina ended up running into Robinson and learned that he was having too much trouble getting used to dry land and that he had decided to head back to the Bonehemoth. He let her know that he managed to trick the whale into swallowing a teleporter so no one would ever get stuck inside it again.

Dina was informed that Pauleen would be her opponent in the Semifinals. It was a bittersweet moment, but she knew there was little she could do to change it. She headed into the Common Room to meet up with Pauleen.

"This is going to be my first battle in front of people without a mask," Pauleen said. "But that's okay, diga. Your faith in me has made me brave. It doesn't matter how many people are watching, digadig. I'm not going to be intimidated! I will prove to the world that I am reborn, digadig!" Dina smiled as they stepped into the stadium together.

Pauleen's Omias slapped Fury with her whip-like tail, defeating her while the Synthos went for Mayrah. Mayrah went after the Omias, knowing fully well it was the most dangerous. Riptide joined in on the attack, charging into it.

The Plesio slammed into Riptide and the Synthos joined in. Riptide continued to target the Omias, determined to take it down. The Plesio aimed its own attacks at Mayrah, poisoning her. The Synthos joined in. Riptide managed to defeat the Omias. Plesio focused its attacks on Riptide next, poisoning him as the Synthos kept going for Mayrah. Riptide slammed into the Synthos, desperate to help his friend. Mayrah quickly took out the Plesio and Riptide once again rammed into the Synthos. It was clear at this point that Pauleen was not going to win. Within seconds, the Synthos was a Dino Medal.

Dina and Pauleen met up in the Lobby. Pauleen, despite her defeat, was very proud of herself for not getting nervous. She gave Dina another unexpected hug to thank her. Suddenly, Pauleen's face turned red and she scrambled back.

"Why am I turning red _now_ , digadig!?" She whined. Dina let out a silent laugh. The two turned as Rupert stepped out of the stadium, the crowd going wild behind him.

"I won," he said. "So I guess that means we'll be facing each other in the final. Good luck, Dina. I'm looking forward to it." She smiled at him and nodded. He smiled back at her.

"That was a great battle, Dina!" Todd raced over to the group. "It's just so crazy! You're a world-class Fighter now! And I guess you'll be facing Rupert in the final, huh? Well, don't worry. You're my best friend, and I'll cheer you on with everything I've got!"

"Dina!" Dina spun around as a person a few years older than her stepped into the building. He was dressed in an orange t-shirt and jeans, his blue hair short and messy. He grinned, dark brown eyes shining with pure joy as the Fighter raced towards him and practically tackled him into a hug. Dina started signing to him so rapidly neither Rupert nor Todd could really see what she was saying. Rupert and Pauleen stayed where they were, bewildered at the sight. Todd, however, recognized the man and ran over and hugged him as well.

"Devin, you made it!" He grinned.

"Hey, kiddo," Devin greeted. "It's a shame you didn't last long, but I'm glad to hear that Dina's gone and almost become champion!" He ruffled Dina's hair and she slapped his hand away in protest, but her smile never wavered.

"Oh!" Todd turned to Pauleen and Rupert, waving them over. "Pauleen, Rupert, this is Devin, Dina's older brother. Devin, these are the friends we've made, well two of them at least."

"It's nice to meet you two," Devin said. He raised a brow. "Wow, Dina, Todd, I didn't think you'd befriend the prince of FossilDig, Inc. It's good to see you two making friends, though. I was worried how you two would do by yourselves, but you seem to be getting on fine. Is it true, though? About these BB Bandit wannabes?"

"The BareBones Brigade are just as dangerous as the BB Bandits were, if not worse," Rupert said. "They...they sort of almost killed Dina at some point."

"They did _what_?" Devin's eyes darkened at the news. "What exactly did they do?"

"Well, one of them beat her in a Fossil Battle," Rupert began to explain. "He grabbed her and threatened to throw her off the side of the volcano. I don't know if he was bluffing just to scare her or not, but I don't want to think of what might have happened had I not intervened."

[Rupert's helped me a lot, actually,] Dina signed. [He's kept me sane throughout the entire tournament and has helped me fight the BareBones Brigade several times.]

"It's the least I could do for you," Rupert said to her. "You became my friend despite how rude I was to you and Todd at first and you helped me learn there's more to Fossil Battles than winning."

"And you helped me take of that mask, diagadig!" Pauleen added. "Dina's the best!" Devin laughed and grinned at the group.

"I'm glad to hear that," he said. "I'm going to be here for the next few days. I had a bit of a long flight, though, so I'm going to head to my bed. Tomorrow I expect to hear the whole story of what's happened to you!" He ruffled Dina's hair again and walked away. The group watched him leave.

"Well, I'm going to go dig up some fossils!" Todd announced. "I'll see you guys later!" He turned and raced away.

"I'll go make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Pauleen took off after him, leaving Dina and Rupert alone. They stood there in silence for a moment.

"Dina, there's something I must tell you," Rupert said. "It's...very important. I never told you before because I didn't want to risk anyone hearing this. I...can we go to your room for this?" Dina nodded, a curious look in her eyes.

~...~

Dina and Rupert sat down on the bed. Rupert took a deep breath.

"I'm...not fully human," he confessed. "I'm half dinaurian. My mother was King Dynal's daughter, making me second in line for the throne. Due to being half human I can take on a human form without the need of a hologram, unlike the other Dinaurians. I'm not ashamed of my lineage, Dina, I can assure you of that; I was just worried what you would all think knowing that I'm not…"

[Rupert, this doesn't change a single thing,] Dina signed to him. [It's been almost twenty years since Dinaurians arrived here on Earth and by now we humans are used to them. Thank you for telling me. But now that you've told me I can't help but be curious as to what your dinaurian and battle forms look like. You have to show me!] Rupert laughed and hopped off the bed.

"Alright, but you have to promise not to say anything to the others."

[Deal.]

Rupert's form began to shift. He grew slender and a little taller, a long, elegant tail curling around his now clawed feet. His skin turned into scales and his hair into soft feathers. He smiled at her and Dina could see that his teeth had become sharper. He stretched and Dina could see the muscles rippling beneath his scales from years of battle training. The scrawny rich kid she had gotten so used to clearly wasn't as weak in this form of his.

His scales were mainly red, but he had a blue underside, the edges surrounded by white. A blue collar ran around the base of his neck and it too was lined with white. Around his chest the white spread outward and around his legs. A single red stripe ran down his legs, only stopped by a v-shaped dark brown marking. Below that marking was another stripe, this one white. The rest of his leg was a lighter brown. The white continued on and engulfed the red at the middle of his tail. The blue on his underside stretched out and covered the tip of his tail.

 _I knew there was something odd about his eyes,_ Mayrah grumbled.

"I haven't been in this form in a long time," Rupert chuckled. "It feels nice to use it again. What do you think?" He tipped his head to the side as he noticed Dina was staring at him.

[You have wings,] she signed. Rupert turned to look at his back. Indeed, he did in fact have wings; they were folded neatly and within this form they resembled the tail of his coat.

"Wings run in the royal family," he explained. "My grandfather lost his in a battle, so he wears mechanical ones instead." He extended one of the wings for her to look at it. The wing looked more like that of a pterosaur than a dragon with one long finger stretching out instead of multiple. The membrane was attached to the base of his tail. The back of the wings were red and devoid of any markings, but the undersides were mainly blue. The edges were rimmed with white and long, swirling stripes ran out from the white, curling like waves. They were small at first, but in the middle of his wing they grew larger before turning smaller again. He folded the wing and sat down beside Dina, his tail curling slightly towards her as if he wanted to wrap it around her.

[Will you stay in this form from now on?] Dina asked. Rupert shrugged.

"It's not really a secret," he answered. "But there's very few Dinaurians outside of Vivosaur Island, so I usually stay in my human form so I don't make people uncomfortable. I look good though, don't I?" He puffed out his chest a little in pride. Dina silently laughed at the sight of him trying to show off.

 _Can I bite him now?_ Mayrah asked. _I promise I won't kill him._

 _No, Mayrah,_ Dina answered. _Let him enjoy himself, he never gets to be himself at home or in public._

"I won't be able to use my battle form in the Cup since that wouldn't be fair for you," Rupert went on, oblivious to the conversation Dina was having with her vivosaur. "but one day I'll battle you in it, I swear."

Dina gave him a playful shove and he laughed, his tail curling around her waist and pulling her closer to him.

[I'm glad I could help you,] she signed. He nodded to her.

"And I'm happy that you're my friend," he replied. "You know what, I think I will stay in this form. It's time the world got used to Dinaurians and I'm tired of hiding my lineage. Once the Cup is over, I'll take you, Todd and Pauleen to Vivosaur island so they can meet you. I know my mother and grandfather will love all of you. You might even get to meet Duna and Raptin!"

[Who?] Dina signed, raising a brow in confusion.

"Duna and Raptin are sort of my aunt and uncle," Rupert answered. "Not by blood, but they might as well be. They're the closest people to my grandfather aside from my mother and I. Duna was the first Dinaurian to ally with a human and Raptin's her best friend. Raptin was forbidden from being able to fight in his dinaurian form for a while, as were all the others, but now Dynal has lifted that ban and we're allowed to fight again, so long as the human understands what they're up against. We've been working with the Dinaurians to find better and faster ways to revive vivosaurs. That's how my mother and father met, actually. My dad was visiting King Dynal to talk, he was introduced to her and they fell in love."

[I do have one question, though. Did you hatch from an egg or were you born like a human?]

"I hatched," Rupert answered. "It depends on the mother from what I've seen. Dinaurians and humans being able to breed is supposed to be impossible, but I'm proof that it's not. It's just really difficult and there's big chance that I probably won't be able to have kids myself, but I'm not concerned with that. Anyway, if the mother is a human the child will be born in human form and alive like a normal human, but if the mother's a Dinaurian then the child will hatch from an egg like a Dinaurian. I was able to change between my human and Dinaurian forms at around a year old and I could change into my battle form when I was five."

[You still need to show me that,] Dina signed, poking him in the side. He grinned and got off the bed, changing shape again. His battle form had the same markings as his Dinaurian form, but he looked very similar to a raptor aside from the fact he didn't have a large toe claw. A crest of feathers ran from the middle of his forehead down to his shoulders. Another bundle of feathers grew from the middle of his back to the base of his tail. He was about the size of a U-Raptor, though he could have been slightly taller.

 _He's a handsome little raptor I'll give him that,_ Maryah said. _I still don't like him, though._

"I've never actually gotten to battle anyone in my battle form," Rupert admitted as he changed back into his Dinaurian form. I've trained with my mother and other Dinaurians, but I've never fought a Fossil Fighter. I hope you'll be the first one I get to fight."

[I hope so too,] Dina replied. [Whatever happens tomorrow in the finals, promise me you won't get upset?]

"Of course I won't be upset," Rupert answered, reaching out to place his hand over hers. "I could never be upset with you. I'm going to go check out that new dig site. Want to come?"

Dina nodded and smiled at him.

~...~

People stared at the two as they exited the Fossil Station and headed to the helicopter. They mostly were staring at Rupert, however, their eyes wide and jaws dropped. The two sat close to each other on the helicopter, sharing stories of their past. Dina was able to give Rupert the whole story of how she got Mayrah before the short trip was over.

Once they reached the dig site they found Professor Scatterly laying in the sand. The two shared an equally annoyed look and gave the poor man a little bit of their water. They helped him dig up the final Calio Slablet and he was able to read it to them. Dina shivered as Professor Scatterly headed back to his museum.

"Is everything alright?" Rupert asked.

[Something isn't right,] Dina signed to him. [The Cup, Zongazonga's reign...I feel as if history is repeating itself.]

"What do you mean?" Rupert frowned.

[King Zongazonga stole people's bodies,] Dina explained. [He was an immortal sorcerer. Whenever the body he was in got too old, he would hold a tournament in which people would battle with vivosaurs he had revived using his magic. All three islands were involved and the winner would have their body stolen. The Caliosteo Cup is so similar to it…]

"Don't worry, Dina," Rupert said. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "King Zongazonga is sealed away forever. Besides, Joe is a good man."

[But he didn't remember me or Todd,] Dina signed frantically. [He should have remembered something like that!]

"Dina, calm down," Rupert murmured, wrapping a wing around her. "He's just a little stressed because of the BB Brigade and the Cup. I'm sure it just slipped his mind. He's probably remembered it by now."

[I want to go back to the City,] Dina signed. Rupert frowned, but he nodded in understanding and led her away, keeping his wing around her to protect her from the sand. They made it back to the City.

Once they stepped inside, the ground began to rumble and shake. Dina gasped and stumbled. Rupert caught her and picked her up, opening his wings and hovering a few inches above the ground. They looked up as the Mammoth Vision floated down. Rupert let out a deep growl, his eyes narrowing into golden slits as Don Boneyard's face appeared on the screen. He had done something that was making the islands sink below the waves.

"Dina!" Pauleen raced over, skidding to a halt. She stared at Rupert, jaw dropping as he landed and set Dina back down. "What in the…? Oh, never mind that! Don Boneyard's sinking the islands! I think he's really being serious, digadig!"

"If he really is sinking the islands then that earthquake was the first of many," Rupert spoke. "We must find out how they are doing this. Let's go speak to Joe, he might know something." The three rushed inside where Todd was already waiting for them. Todd spun around and squeaked as he saw Rupert in his Dinaurian form and Joe seemed equally as surprised.

"How-what-you-huh!?" Todd sputtered.

"I'll explain later," Rupert sighed. "Right now we need to focus on the sinking islands."

"I'm glad ya'll feel that way, 'cause we're in a whole heap'a trouble right about now," Joe spoke.

"Is Don Boneyard telling the truth, digadig? Can he really sink these islands?" Pauleen stepped forward.

"Ya got me there, little lady," Joe sighed. "I'm afraid I don't know much 'bout that kind of thing. I asked on'a the local eggheads to ride by and help us out. Figured he would'a been here by now…"

Professor Scatterly came out of the elevator moments later

"I would deduce that the recent quake is the result of the Spinal Pillar being weakened," the professor said. Upon getting confused looks from everyone, he continued, "The Spinal Pillar, you see, is a massive structure that supports the Caliosteo Islands. Theoretically, if someone were to chip away at this pillar, it would eventually snap in two. And this, of course, would send the islands plunging into the sea. All quite terrible, yes?"

"That's low, even for the BB Brigade," Todd said. "We can't let them get away with it!" Rupert nodded in agreement.

"We must stop them from eroding the Spinal Pillar further."

"Er, yes. Well, you see, I fear stopping further erosion will not be sufficient," Professor Scatterly said. "There's already been too much damage done to it. We have to find a way to reinforce it and repair the damage."

"And just how are we gonna do that!?" Joe questioned.

"With calcium, my good man!" The professor grinned. "The Spinal Pillar is composed of an extremely hard type of calcium, you see? If we were to inject a similar substance into the pillar, it should be enough to save the islands! However, there's only one thing that contains the type of calcium we need. The prehistoric fish, Sardinisaurus! Yes, quite. Therefore we must find its fossil rock and right quickly at that."

"I reckon we can find those inside Petrified Woods," Joe said. "It's a dig site on Ribular Island. We'd closed it for maintenance, but I'll open 'er up right now. Lemme see yer sonar there, Dina." Dina handed him the sonar and he managed to fix it so that it could pick up the Sardinisaurus fossil rocks. He send her to Petrified Woods and then told Todd, Pauleen and Rupert to calm down the people on the islands.

"Good luck, Dina," Rupert said to her softly as they exited the elevator. "Be careful." She nodded to him and raced away.

She hurried through the Petrified woods, climbing up a vine within a large tree trunk onto the stump where she dug up the fossil rock. She made her way back through the VMM and returned to Cranial City where she handed the rock to Joe. He extracted the calcium from it. He was going to send them through a sub, but the BB Brigade had sabotaged it.

[Wait, I know a way!] Dina signed. Everyone turned to her. [The Bonehemoth!]

"Yes, of course!" Rupert grinned. "The Bonehemoth would be able to get us to the seafloor with ease. Of course, it might not be quite that simple, but it's worth a try. Perhaps we should ask Robinson for advice."

"Well, heck," Joe laughed. "I can't believe how quick ya'll are on yer feet. Can't say as I understand the plan fully, but ya'll think it'll work, then I'm up for it. Just get down to the seafloor and inject this calcium into the Spinal Pillar!"

The four rushed down the elevator and hurried over to Ilium Village. They headed to the Bonehemoth where they met up with Robinson and explained what was happening to him. He nodded and told them they had to tickle the whale in order to get it to dive.

"I can help!" Todd said. "I'm good at tickling!"

"We'll split up," Rupert said. "Todd will need to stay here, so I'll take Cranial Isle, Pauleen can take Ilium Island, and Dina will go to Ribular Island."

[Someone's becoming a leader,] Dina joked. Rupert blushed slightly.

"This is practice for when I'm king of the Dinaurians," he stated calmly.

"WHAT!?" This got the attention of Pauleen and Todd.

"Later," Rupert said. "We need to hurry."

Dina made it to the cavern where Cole and two BB Brigade members were waiting. He spun around and glared at her furiously.

"Seriously…?" he muttered. "You know, I have to admit; I'm almost impressed with you. Every other fool on this island is running in terror from us, and yet here you are. Not bad, my man. Not bad at all. But no matter how much I dig your style, I can't let you interfere when we're so close to victory. Prepare to get your ass handed to you!" The two tossed out their Dino Medals.

Mayrah quickly slammed into one of the B-Rexes, sending it into the wall. The B-Rex sent a powerful wave of sound at them while the B-Plesio focused on attacking Fury. Mayrah slammed her tail into it, knocking it into the wall. Another roar from the B-Rex defeated Fury. Mayrah took out the B-Plesio while Riptide rammed into one of the B-Rexes. The B-Rexes bit into Mayrah, one on her tail and the other on her neck. Riptide rammed into the one at her neck, taking it out. Mayrah returned into Dino Medal form just as Riptide turned on the other and defeated it.

"Such style!" Cole gasped. "Such grace I...I was actually distracted by your battle skills. I'm not used to being beaten in battle...or in beauty." He gave her a sweet smile.

 _That's it, I'm biting him._ Mayrah leaped from her Dino Medal in her smaller form and bit down on Cole's arm. Dina stiffened, startled by Mayra's sudden aggression. She tried to step in to stop her vivosaur, but Cole reacted first. He shrieked and frantically waved his arm, knocking Mayrah off and running out of the cave in terror with the two BB Brigade grunts right behind.

 _We don't mention that to the others,_ Dina said as she injected the calcium into the Spinal Pillar.

 _I will!_ Peak replied. _I wanna see what they'll do!_

 _Peak,_ no! Riptide shouted. _That'd be a very bad thing to do! Todd and Rupert will kill Cole!_

Joe called the group back to his suite once the Spinal Pillar healed.

"Ya'll have saved Caliosteo Fossil Park from a watery grave," Joe said. "But that ain't even the best news of the day! When them BB varmints fled, they led us right to their base! I'd love to chase 'em down and settle this once and for all, but we still got guests runnin' all over the park. I can't afford to send m'self or the staff out until things calm down 'round here."

[We'll go,] Dina signed. Joe frowned.

"Ya got guts to spare, pardners, but I'm afraid I gotta say no," he said. "This here's my fight, ya see? And besides, it's far too dangerous, even for the Patrol Team."

"I agree with Dina." Rupert stepped forward. "The BareBones Brigade is on the run and in disarray. We'll likely not have such a chance again."

"Rupert is right, diagadig," Pauleen joined in. "Let's go take care of Don Boneyard once and for all, diga!"

"Can't say as I'm comfortable with this idea, but I suppose yer right," Joe sighed. "I'm issuin' one last order to my Caliosteo Patrol Team. Saddle up and ride to the BB Brigade Base, and take out that dastardly Don Boneyard! The base is on a tiny piece of land called Bonechip Island. I'll talk to the helicopter pilot so ya'll can fly there from the Cranial Isle heliport. Soon as things tucker down here, I'll make my way over and help ya'll out. Just promise to be careful, ya hear? Them BB varmints won't go down without a fight. Good luck, Patrol Team!"

 **A quick explanation for why I made Rupert half Dinaurian; at first I wasn't planning on this, but as I was looking at his official artwork I noticed some weird similarities between him and the Dinaurian race. First off was the white hair which is average main character design since it helps hims stand out, but the interesting thing is that the only character in the series that has white hair and is not old(physically) is King Dynal(from what I can remember anyway). In the game a character's pupils are usually a darker color of their main eye color. However, Rupert's pupils are black, just like a Dinaurian. Dinaurians all have narrow eyes and while Rupert's aren't as narrow, they're pretty close. Most human characters within Champions have rounded eyes. Rupert is one of the few that does not.**


	11. A Heart-to-Heart With the Enemy

"Ow, watch it!" Lester whined and tried to lean away as Lola tended to the small cuts and bruises that had been left behind from his fossil battle.

"Like, keep still, man!" Lola huffed, tightening the bandage. Lester grumbled to himself and tried to ignore the pain as she finished. He looked up, eyes widening in horror.

"Holy, shit, Cole, what happened to you!?" He cried out. Lola followed his gaze and gasped. Cole's face was pale and his arm still bleeding from the bite that Mayrah had left on it. He was holding it close to his chest, staining his uniform red. He staggered slightly, barely able to make it over to the couch to sit down. In an instant Lola and Lester were at his side. Lola cleaned and bandaged the wound as quickly as she could while Lester convinced him to drink a little water.

"Dina's vivosaur happened," he managed to choke out, wincing. "I say one nice thing about Dina's battling skills and the thing tries to _maul_ me!" He was being a little overdramatic, but he felt it was perfectly acceptable in his situation.

"Did she order it to?" Lester asked. Cole shook his head.

"No, it did it all on its own," he answered. "At least, I think so. Dina seemed a little horrified when it bit me."

"Man, you should go, like, rest," Lola told him. "I'll tell Don B that you've been injured." Cole opened his mouth to protest, but he then nodded, knowing she was right.

"Yeah, okay," he said. "I'll go take a nap or something. "Thanks Lola, Lester. I really couldn't ask for a better family." He slowly got up and made his way back to his room. However, instead of taking a nap, he took out his laptop as usual. Technically, he was laying in bed so he was resting. Besides, he wouldn't stop until his surprise was ready.

~...~

"Before we go, I need to ask something," Todd stopped the group as they were about to exit the Fighter Station. "Rupert, why are you a lizard?"

"I'm a Dinaurian, actually," Rupert corrected him. "My mother was a Dinaurian and so I can switch between Dinaurian and human forms. I've decided to no longer hide this and so I will be in this form from now on.

"It's going to take me awhile to get used to seeing you like this," Todd admitted.

"To be honest, I'm already used to it," Pauleen admitted. "There's quite a few Dinaurians on Vivosaur island, so I've seen a lot of them before. I practically grew up with them. But what's all this fuss about being the future king?"

"My mother is the daughter of King Dynal and thus the next in line for the throne," Rupert said with a small shrug.

"But isn't your dad a human?" Todd frowned. "How does that even work?"

"Grandfather says that only a Dinaurian-hybrid or otherwise-may take the throne." Rupert shifted a little uncomfortably. "So my father will never be king. I've had my doubts about him, to be quite honest. I thought he might have only married my mother-"

[Stop,] Dina signed to him. [It's not good for you to think like that. No matter how your father acts you never question his love for your mother unless he himself tells you how he really feels.] Rupert let out a soft sigh and nodded to her.

"Dina, wait!" Devin came rushing over to the group. He skidded to a stop, panting. "Hold on a second."

[Devin, if you're trying to stop me-]

"I'm not." Devin interrupted his sister. "I heard that you don't have a neutral Vivosaur yet, so I wanted to give you this. Take care of him for me." He handed her a Dino Medal. Dina grinned and hugged her brother.

"Come on!" Todd ran on ahead. "Let's go defeat Don Boneyard once and for all!" The rest of the Caliosteo Patrol Team raced after him, waving goodbye to Devin who watched them run off.

~...~

While they flew to the island, Dina stared down at her new Vivosaur's Dino Medal, smiling.

 _Hello,_ she greeted. _Welcome to the team. Do you have a name?_

The Vivosaur inside the Dino Medal remained silent. She frowned.

 _It won't speak to us either,_ Mayrah said. _Must be shy. Or mute like you._

 _It wouldn't surprise me if it is mute,_ Dina said. _My brother has a bit of a twisted sense of humor._

"Dina, are you alright?" Rupert asked her. She glanced up at him and nodded, putting the Dino Medal back into her pocket.

[I'm alright,] she sighed. [Just a little worried, I guess.] Rupert smiled and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, we'll win this time like every other time," he told her.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see the look on the BB Brigade's faces when we kick their butts to the moon and back in their own base!" Todd joined in.

"I can't wait to get back at that stupid hipster for kidnapping me, digadig." Pauleen stared out the window at the island as it came into view, a determined grin forming on her lips.

When the helicopter landed outside the base, the four stepped off onto the warm sand. They looked up at the skull above the doorway.

"They're about as subtle as an explosion," Rupert scoffed. "I've no idea how no one found this place until now." Pauleen nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, maybe they should try being a bit more obvious next time," she added. Two BareBones Brigade grunts walked out just in time to see them. There was an awkward silence between the six until the grunts turned and fled back inside, screaming about an invasion.

"Well, there goes the stealth part of the plan," Rupert sighed. "Let's try to finish these fools off before Joe and his crew arrive."

[Well look at the big strong leader,] Dina teased. [You seem pretty confident.] Rupert turned away from Dina, a blush on his cheeks.

"I know we will win without them, so there really is no point in waiting," he defended himself. "Move out!" He and Pauleen headed into the base, but Todd fell over into the sand, curled up in a ball. Dina sighed and shook her head, kneeling down beside him.

"I-it's my stomach," Todd whimpered. "You'll have to go on without me for now. I just need to rest for a minute." Dina nodded and walked into the base, knowing there wasn't a whole lot she could do to help. When she got inside she noticed Rupert and Pauleen fighting with the two grunts from earlier.

"We've got them," Rupert called to her. "You go on ahead after Don Boneyard!" Dina hesitated for a moment before she raced up the stairs, stopping as a familiar face came into view.

"Oh, woooow." Lola raised a brow. "You're back. You're not, like, following me or something, are you? Or maybe you're just persistent. I had an aunt like that once. She was wiiiild, man. Soooo, like, you know we're both even from that whole Bonehemoth thing, riiight? Which means I'm tooootally gonna thump you good, you dig?" The two pulled out their Dino Medals. Lola sent out a B-Jara, B-Brachio and B-Rex. Dina kept Riptide out in front.

Riptide slammed into the B-Rex, knocking it to the ground as Fury leaped onto it to help. The B-Jara hit Riptide with a powerful wave of sound, forcing him to fall asleep. Mayrah focused on the B-Brachio, taking it out with a single hit. The B-Rex bit down on Mayrah, flinging her aside as the B-Jara forced Fury to sleep. Riptide charged at it, slamming it back into the wall. The B-Rex kept attacking Mayrah while the B-Jara again sent Fury to sleep. Riptide charged into the B-Rex defeating it instantly. The B-Jara managed to defeat Fury before Mayrah grabbed it's wing and slammed it into the ground, reverting it back into a Dino Medal.

"You are some kind of groooovy Fighter, you know that?" Lola said. "I, like, can't beat you anymore. It's craaazy. Sooo, I'm gonna make like Cole's pants and split...bye." She headed down the stairs.

Dina went through and checked the rooms, looking for the leader. She stopped, eyes wide when she went into Cole's room. He was sitting on the bed, typing on his laptop as if he didn't even know the invasion was happening. He glanced over, equally as surprised as Dina.

"Oh, hello, Dina," he squeaked and scrambled up, shutting his laptop and running his fingers through his hair. He opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped. Instead, he startled Dina by doing something entirely different; using sign language. [I didn't know you would be here so soon. You didn't even give me time to get ready. Look, don't get cocky just because you beat me, okay? I'm pretty small-time in the big scheme of things. Don Boneyard, though? He's going to wipe the floor with you if you fight him, so I think you ought to give up or surrender or even join us.] It was sloppy and far beyond perfect with a few words missing, but Dina could understand what he was trying to say.

[How-!?] she was too startled to do much but stare at him for a moment. [I thought you didn't know sign language. Did you lie to me?]

[No, I didn't lie,] Cole responded, letting out a huff. [How dare you accuse me of such a thing? After we first met I decided to learn it. I mean, I don't know everything, but I know enough to get what you're trying to say. So about joining…?]

[I'd never join you,] Dina signed, glaring at him. They stared at each other for a moment, waiting to so what the other would do before Cole shrugged and flopped back onto the bed. He winced, instantly regretted it as his arm began to feel sore again. He decided against using sign language until it healed out of fear he would reopen the wound.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he said. Dina frowned and walked over, standing over him. "What? Is my charm that irresistible?"

[Aren't you going to fight me?] Dina signed. [I'm sort of invading your base and all.] Cole raised a brow.

"No, I'm not going to fight you," he let out a short laugh. "You've already beaten me twice now, I'm not going for thirds. I don't want to be humiliated again. Even if I wanted to fight you, I couldn't." He raised his arm to show the bandages. Dina looked away as he continued, "Besides, I don't think you're that bad. You're pretty loyal and protective of your friends and you've got a brave heart made of gold. You refused to give up no matter how hard we tried to stop the cup and you even offered a truce when we were stuck in that whale. Pretty admirable if you ask me." He gave her another sweet smile. For a moment, there was a bit of hope within Dina that she might be able to make a friend out of Cole.

[Sorry,] she signed. [about Mayrah.]

"It's fine," Cole replied. "I know you didn't order her to. How did she do that, though? I thought vivosaurs couldn't come out so soon after being in battle."  
[I'm really not sure.] Dina gave a small shrug. [I guess her will to protect me overcame her exhaustion for a moment.]

"That's interesting," Cole mumbled so softly Dina barely head him.

[Would you be willing to help me take down your boss?] she asked him suddenly. He sat up so quickly she jumped in surprise.

"Take down Don Boneyard?" He repeated. " _Me_? No way! He's my boss! He ...he helped me through a rough patch, okay? I can't betray him. Lola's pretty cool, and so's Lester. We don't get along very well and I wouldn't mind kicking his ass once in awhile, but he's like my brother. Helping you wouldn't change a thing; a freak like me is better off with the other freaks. There's no good in me, Lester or Lola."

[I understand,] Dina signed. She then smiled. [That's not true, about there being no good in you. You _are_ good, you're just a little lost.] She sat down next to him on the bed.

"Like you know what it's like," Cole scoffed. "You never had to deal with being an outcast. _Everyone_ loves you. Even your damn enemy."

[Now, that isn't true,] Dina protested. [You said so yourself; Lester doesn't like me. And Lord Tonzilla probably doesn't either, nor Don Boneyard. I'm sure there's people out there who don't like me that I don't even know. People are like that. And you're wrong-about the outcast thing.]

"How could I be wrong?" Cole snapped, glaring at her for a moment. His gaze softened and he looked down at the floor, mumbling an apology. Dina frowned.

 _Dina, don't you dare,_ Mayrah growled. _I'm tolerating Rupert for you but I will not tolerate this brat._

 _Mayrah, he's lost,_ Dina replied. _I'm probably the only person who's bothered giving him a chance since Don Boneyard took him in. I want to help._

"Cole," Dina rasped. Cole's head shot up, his eyes wide as he stared at her, jaw dropping. He shut his mouth after a few moments but then opened it again to speak.

"You spoke," he said. "Oh, now I know this is a dream…!" He trailed off when she shook her head, eyes glazing over with pain for a moment.

[You look me in the eyes and tell me that I, a person unable to talk and whose only way of communication is sign language-a language that's practically foreign and unknown where I grew up-wasn't an outcast,] she signed. [And, yes, I can talk, but it hurts to do so.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I had no idea-I mean...sorry-for what I said about you not understanding. I just...I had no idea. I thought that maybe people would have still liked you whether they could understand you or not. "

[See? There's plenty of good in you.] Dina smiled at him. [Otherwise you wouldn't have cared enough to apologize. The only person who ever bothered learning was Todd and my brother. My uncle already knew it.]

"What about your parents?" Cole asked.

[Gone,] Dina answered. [My mother was never around and my dad died in the car crash that made me mute.]

"I'm sorry to hear that," Cole murmured. "I grew up in an orphanage. People tried to adopt me, but after a day or two they'd send me back. At some point I just...lost all hope in getting a family and ran away. I know it was stupid, but I couldn't take it anymore! In my opinion it's better to not have a family at all than have one for a short time and then be abandoned by them all over again. I met Lola out on the streets-she'd been living there her whole life-and she took me under her wing. We met Lester a while after. He'd been kicked out by his parents after getting into a bad fight with them. The three of us have been together ever since. We drive each other nuts, but we'd never leave each other behind; we're all we've got. We're a family. Then Don Boneyard came to us one day and offered us a permanent place to stay, food, even a position of respect and power. How could we say 'no' to all of that? We finally had someone who cared, someone who who wanted us." Dina leaned against him to comfort him. He let her, his arm slowly wrapping around her in an awkward hug.

[Trust me, siblings are supposed to drive you crazy,] she signed to him. Cole let out a soft laugh.

"You should go," he said. "Before someone catches you in here. Then we'll both be in serious trouble. Thanks for listening."

[Thank you for not fighting me,] Dina signed back. [I didn't really want to fight you either. I'll talk to you later. If you change your mind about being in the BareBones Brigade, I might be able to convince Joe to add you to the Caliosteo Patrol Team if our little raid here doesn't work.] Cole's eyes brightened.

"I'd like that," he murmured. "Thank you so much, Dina. I promise that if I do join your little Patrol Team I'll stick with you and your friends like a pair of skinny jeans! Oh, um, but I'll only join if Don Boneyard goes to skull jail or whatever." Dina let out a soft snort of laughter as she headed out of the room.

 _Cole's a sweet boy when he wants to be,_ Riptide said. _And he seemed really happy about you offering him a place on the Patrol Team!_

 _Even if this is the last mission, I'll keep it running when I win the Cup,_ Dina said. _There's going to be a lot of problems in the fossil park in the future, and the Staff can't do everything. So when I'm the owner of the park I'll make a permanent Patrol Team to act as the protectors to the park. If Rupert wins then I'll talk to him about still doing it._

 _Well, the Caliosteo Patrol Team is a great name, but it's a little long,_ Fury said. _You should come up with something different, especially if this idea spreads to other Fossil Parks._

 _Well, we can't call them police officers-even though that's technically what they are,_ Peak huffed. _And I don't think rangers works either._

 _We'll figure it out later._ Dina quickened her pace a little as she kept walking. She stopped as Lester blocked her path.

"You're like a bad opening act: you stay too long and no one really wants to see you," he spat.

 _I think Cole would beg to differ._ Peak snickered.

"Still, I knew you would be the one to break into our base," Lester went on. "You're just metal like that. Well, too bad for you. This is my chance to settle the score! There's only room for one lead in this band, and it's gonna be me!"

"Leave her alone, Lester!" Cole ran out and stopped in front of Dina, glaring at the other commander. "Your fight's with me!" Lester stared at Cole, bewildered by Cole's seemingly sudden change in character and even Dina stared at the hipster, her soft brown eyes wide.

"Are you insane!?" Lester snapped. "You're betraying us!?"

"No," Cole answered. "I'd never betray Don Boneyard, Lola or even you. You and I both know she'd beat you anyway. I'm just preventing you from embarrassing yourself any further. Dina, go! Either leave the base or face Don Boneyard!" Dina looked between Cole and Lester, hesitating.

[Be careful,] she signed as she turned and raced away to the door at the end of the hallway.

"Cole, I'm going to _murder_ you when I'm done beating your vivosaurs into the ground!" Lester growled. "Just because you have a crush on her doesn't mean you can side with her!"

"She's just like us," Cole's voice softened. "She doesn't have any parents either. The only people who cared enough to learn sign language for her was Todd and her brother. She only had them until she came here, just like you, Lola and I only have each other until Don Boneyard took us in. I really don't want to fight you, Lester, but I can't let you hurt her. I'm done being a dramatic idiot. If she somehow manages to beat the boss and he winds up in jail or wherever skulls go, I'm joining her. I want to do something useful. I want to be remembered as a good person, not a villain."

"How do you know all this?" Lester's eyes narrowed.

"She came into my room a few minutes ago," Cole answered. "Neither of us wanted to fight and Dina had just got done battling Lola so she had to wait for her vivosaurs to heal. We started talking and we told each other a brief summary of our life stories. Lester, she really does care about us. She offered me a spot on the Caliosteo Patrol Team even. I'm sure she'll do the same for you and Lola if you just ask."

"Even if we wanted to that's not going to happen," Lester said. "You and I both know Don Boneyard's gonna win that fight." A small smirk grew on Cole's face as he heard Vivosaurs being sent out in the next room.

"I wouldn't so sure of that," he said.

Dina entered the room, her heart pounding in her chest. This was it; the final showdown. After this, the Cup would be over, one way or another. Don Boneyard stood with his back to her, chuckling as he heard her footsteps on the stone floor.

"You have done well to make it to my inner sanctum," he said. "But playtime is over. LEt's see if you have the guts to beat me!" He spun around to face her, but seemed puzzled. "Wait. Do I know you…? Never mind! I'll have time to bone up on such things later. Until the Caliosteo Cup is cancelled, I will not allow myself to be defeated! Behold the terrifying boneysaurs of Don Boneyard!"

He sent out a B-Rex, B-Ptera and a B-Brachio. Dina frowned at the sight of the B-Ptera. Something about this whole thing was familiar. She shook it off and sent out Mayrah, Peak and Riptide.

Mayrah immediately attacked the B-Brachio, chomping down on its neck with a critical hit. Peak attacked the B-Ptera, biting down on its wing. The B-Ptera and B-Rex sent a powerful wave of sound over the three, making Mayrah too scared to move. Peak slammed into the B-Rex, sending it skidding back. Riptide joined in on the attack and Peak went for the B-Ptera next. The B-Ptera attacked Peak, defeating him while the B-Brachio slammed its tail into Mayrah. She immediately retaliated, sending it back into a Dino Medal. Riptide defeated the B-Rex next, leaving the B-Ptera on its own. It tried to attack Mayrah, but she grabbed it in her jaws and slammed it to the floor, ending the battle.

"M-my boneysaurs were defeated?" Don Boneyard stared at Dina in disbelief. "But it would take a Fighter of such unbelievable skill to...Oh. Oh ho ho! Yes, I knew I had met you before...You are Dina. Of course. It really is you, isn't it, Dina? I had no idea you were in the Cup."

[I don't think we've met,] Dina signed.

"Oh, but we have!" Don Boneyard protested. "You must listen to me, Dina. The Caliosteo Cup cannot be allowed to continue! Do not trust anything the present Joe Wildwest says. Because he is-"

"Dina, are you alright!?" Rupert burst into the room with Pauleen. Don Boneyard vanished in a puff of smoke.

"He got away!" Pauleen stamped her foot against the floor in frustration. "Diga-damn it all!"

"I wouldn't worry yer pretty little head 'bout that, now," Joe said as he walked over. "Thanks to ya'll, we captured the three commanders and all their BareBones lackeys. Without them, ol' Don Boneyard can't do much more'n stamp his feet and twiddle his thumbs. Now we can hold the finals like we always wanted!"

[Joe, can I ask something first?] Dina signed to him. Joe tilted his head as she continued, [Please don't send the commanders away.]

"WHAT!?" Everyone in the room was immediately trying to convince her otherwise, but she raised a hand for silence.

[I spoke to Cole earlier,] she explained. [He, Lola and Lester were orphans until Don Boneyard took them in. He even jumped in to help me, fighting Lester so I could get to Don Boneyard. They're not all that bad, they just want a home.]

"Well, I can't let 'em run free 'till the Cup is over," Joe said. "But once the Champion's won I guess I could let 'em go. After all, they are just kids. Now let's all get back so ya'll can get some rest and prepare for the finals tomorrow!" Joe headed back outside and Pauleen chased after him. Rupert turned to Dina.

"Cole didn't threaten you or anything, did he?" He asked. Dina shook her head and he sighed. "I can't say I'm convinced about him, but you've always been able to see the good in people. Well, I'm afraid this is where our era of cooperation ends, Dina. The next time we meet, it will be as rivals in the Fossil Stadium. But, I will warn you, I have a little something planned. There will be cameras everywhere and I want to prove to my father that you're the best thing that ever happened to me."

[If you propose to me I will smack you,] Dina signed. She was unable to stop grinning. Rupert let out a laugh.

"No, no, I won't do that," he said. "It's a surprise, though, so that will be all you're getting out of me." He and Dina headed outside. Todd almost ran right into them in the hallway.

"You're awesome, Dina!" he exclaimed. "You pretty much took out the entire BB Brigade by yourself!" He saw Dina begin to frown and asked, "What's wrong?"

[Don Boneyard knew who I was,] Dina signed.

"Aw, I wouldn't worry about it," Todd said. "You're in the final, you know? You're pretty famous already. Now, come on, let's go!"


	12. The Truth is Revealed

Dina and Rupert headed to their rooms to get ready. When Dina arrived at the Common Room, however, she learned that Rupert's father had arrived to take him away. Pauleen came rushing over, too panicked to talk straight. Dina managed to calm her down enough to where they could run over to where Rupert and his Father were arguing near the entrance to the building. As they made it over, Dina managed to catch the last bit of conversation.

"I should have never let you come to this tournament." Rupert's father shook his head. "We'll speak of your behavior later, but for right now we need to hurry. The company helicopter is waiting."

Dina and Pauleen stood in front of the door, arms crossed as they glared up at the man. He stared back at them, his gaze cold.

"Are these your 'friends'?" He asked Rupert. "Are they the ones who have filled your head with nonsense?"

"They _are_ my friends and they've brought me more joy in these past few days than you ever have!" Rupert spat bitterly. His father seemed taken aback for a moment.

"Very well," he said. "If fun is what you desire, I will simply remove it from the equation. Rupert, I challenge you and one of your friends to a Fossil Battle! There is no place for fun in Fossil Battles and it's time for you to remember that!" He took a step towards Rupert and raised his arm. Rupert flinched and scrambled back, his face pale. He forced himself to calm down when he realized what was on his father's arm.

"That thing is a Fossil Battle computer developed by FossilDig, Inc." Rupert said to Dina. "A Fighter can use it to control two vivosaur teams at the same time."

[I'll help you,] Dina signed to him. She stood beside him and he smiled at her.

Rupert's father sent out a Ryden, Seismo and Perso. Dina, seeing that two of them were Earth types, kept Mayrah out of the battle, sending out the Tophis, Peak and Fury instead. Peak bit into the Ryden's neck with a critical hit and Fury leaped onto its back, clawing it. Finally, the Tophis curled around its neck, squeezing. The Perso, immediately defeated Fury. The Tophis defeated the Ryden while Peak attacked the Perso. The Perso sent a massive shockwave through the ground, but it had little effect. Peak defeated the Perso with a critical hit and the Tophis bit into the Seismo's leg. The Seismo stomped on Peak. Furious, Peak fought back, biting into it's neck. The Seismo sent a shockwave at the Tophis, defeating it. Peak hit it with a critical hit, ending the battle.

"My simulations assured me of victory!" Rupert's father scowled down at Rupert and Dina.

"Listen to me, Father," Rupert stepped forward. "I want to face Dina in the final. I want to battle without any restrictions. Even if I lose, I'll never regret that I tried." Rupert's father let out a long slow sigh.

"Oh, Rupert, it's time I told you the truth." He turned away from his son. "I wasn't just trying to keep you shackled for the sake of the company. You were always skilled at battling. Even as an infant, the joy on your face when you won a battle was something to behold. I vowed early on that you would never know the bitter sting of defeat. I only wanted you to be happy. But now I see that I may have been wrong."

['May have' is an understatement,] Dina signed furiously. [What kind of child can be happy with no friends-!?]

"Dina, that's enough," Rupert said gently as he placed his hand over hers. "You don't need to get yourself worked up over this."

"I look forward to seeing you battle in the final," Rupert's father said. He turned and walked away. Dina glared after him, furious. Rupert gave her a small nudge. Dina sighed and nodded to him, following him to the Common Room. Dina heard Todd call out a 'good luck' to her. Dina tried to avoid looking at the camera once they entered the room.

"Well, here we are, Dina," Rupert said to her. He was smiling a little. "I would wish you luck, but I do not intend to lose to you today."

[And I don't plan on losing to you,] she signed.

They stepped into the stadium.

Apparently, Dina's much earlier thought of Rupert not using a mono-type team was wrong. He was only using water vivosaurs. Dina decided to go with the good old team of Mayrah, Riptide and Peak.

Mayrah immediately went for Mapo King, sending a flurry of razor sharp scales at him. Rupert, confident that his vivosaur would hang in, decided to skip his turn. That was his fatal error. Mayrah immediately took the Mapo King out. The crowd around them roared in excitement as they realized just how one sided the battle had become. The two remaining Mapo bit into Mayrah, but she and Riptide brought one down to a sliver of its health. Mayrah, knowing her time in the battle was up, took the other Mapo down to low health. She was defeated in the next turn. Peak took down one Mapo while Riptide took out the other.

The Cup was over. Dina was the champion.

Dina and Rupert met back up within the Common Room. Rupert was trying to look serious, but Dina could tell by the look in his eyes that he was far from calm.

"You won, Dina," he said. "It's strange. I had always dreaded the thought of losing, but now that it's here, I feel...I feel serene. Calm. Like I've been...cleansed, somehow. Oh, and the battle was so fun! Did you see how I attacked with everything I had? Woo!" He gave a little happy hop, grinning. Dina giggled silently at the sight.

[You're being a dork on camera, Rupert,] she teased. Rupert's face turned red.

"Ahem! Yes, well, I believe that I am satisfied." He paused for a moment, as if thinking of what to say next. "Dina, I'm glad it was you on the final stage. I really am. It was a privilege and an honor to meet a fellow Fighter such as you. I'm proud to call you my rival, my friend...You're the reason I've kept on fighting lately. You mean everything to me." He held out his hand. Dina reached out as well, smiling. However, instead of a handshake, Rupert pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. Dina froze, startled. Luckily for Rupert, Mayrah was still too exhausted to reform, but she was pitching quite a fit in Dina's mind. Dina thought back to what Rupert had said about a 'plan' and realized this must have been it.

Under normal circumstances, Dina would have shoved him away or at least done nothing at all and wait for it to be over, but she was still bitter and spiteful towards Rupert's dad so she decided to play along. She leaned into the kiss, placing her hands on Rupert's shoulders. She could hear the screams of everyone all around the Fossil Park as they watched the scene live on the news. The kiss didn't last very long in reality, but for Dina it seemed to last forever. When they parted, the two were completely red-faced.

"Well don't that just beat it all!?" Rupert yelped and he and Dina scrambled back as Joe seemed to appear out of nowhere beside them. Joe laughed and continued, "Who woulda thunk this Cup would end with a new hero ridin' in to save the day? And to think them BB Brigade fellers almost blew the whole thing! But Dina here took a stand against them varmints and ended up savin' the Cup and the park! Yer passion for battlin' and yer strong heart have allowed ya to claim the crown. Ain't no two ways about it, Dina! You've grown into a great Fighter and a champion. And so, like I promised, I'm gonna make ya the owner of this here Caliosteo Fossil Park! To all them Fighters who gave their best in the competition...to all them fans who whooped and hollered till their throats were sore...to the loyal cowhands who worked day and night to make everything run smooth...with a hearty thanks to ya'll, I declare the Caliosteo Cup over! Congratulations, Dina. Ya truly are the chosen one."

Something about Joe's speech send a wave of dread through her. The camera people left and Rupert stood there very awkwardly.

"I'm sorry!" He blurted out. "I'm so, so, so very sorry! I know that was the most impulsive and stupid thing to do, but-" he stopped as Dina hugged him.

[It's fine,] she signed as she backed up a little so he could see what she was saying. [A little more warning next time would be nice, though.] Rupert blinked, trying to figure out if he had understood her right.

"N-next time?" He squeaked. She smiled and shook her head, gently shoving him through the doors.

[Go say 'hi' to Todd and Pauleen for me!] she signed to him.

"Hey, wait!" Rupert protested as the doors closed. "What do you mean by 'next time'!? _Dina_!" Joe let out a laugh from behind her.

"Ah, young love." He grinned. "You two have a bright future together." Dina's face turned red yet again.

[I don't know about that,] she signed quickly. [I mean, Rupert and I are only fourteen and he really only did that for the camera like when we first met. I don't think he really meant anything by it.]

"If ya say so." Joe shrugged. "Oh, say there, pard. There's somethin' I'd like to talk to ya about. You mind ridin' by the suite sometime soon?" Dina smiled and watched as he walked away.

" _DINA HOLY SHIT!_ " Pauleen burst into the Common Room with Todd. "Rupert kissed you!" Todd was silent and staring down at his shoes.

[Relax, Pauleen.] Dina tried to calm her friend. [Rupert only did that for the camera, we're not actually dating. He wanted to prove something to his dad.] Pauleen seemed disappointed with this explanation.

"You did it, Dina!" Todd suddenly said. "You're the champion! It's wicked! It's awesome! It's wicked awesome! Aw, man. I can't believe you were my Round 1 opponent! But, hey...since you beat me there, and you ended up winning...that means I would have come in second! Ooooh! It's so aggravating!"

"Calm down there, hulk," Pauleen laughed. "Dina, your battle was amazing, digadig! My palms are all sweaty and sore from clapping so hard. But why are we just standing here, diga? There's a whole bunch of people waiting to see you outside! Talking to your fans is part of a champion's job, diga. You know that."

[Yeah, I know.] Dina shrugged. [But they can wait a little longer. Joe wants to talk to me right away.]

"Maybe he remembers saving both of us two years ago!" Todd gasped. "In that case, I'll go with you!"

~...~

The two headed up to the suite. As walked out of the elevator, Joe turned to them.

"I'm glad you came, Dina," he said. "Oh. You brought Todd. Well, this doesn't exactly concern him, but...fine. He's here. How very nice for us all." Dina frowned and took a step back.

[Joe, are you alright?] she asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, Dina," Joe answered. "Let me give you a little history lesson, Dina. I want to talk about a king. A great man who once ruled over all the Caliosteo Islands."

[King Zongazonga,] Dina guessed, her frown deepening. [You're not Joe! What did you do to him!?]

"Well it's easy," Zongazonga laughed. "I stole his body when he opened my tomb like the fool he was. You're correct, Dina. I am not Joe. I am King Zongazonga! But this body is old. And smelly. And living in it forces me to fake that ridiculous accent! I need a body that's strong and full of life if I want to regain the full measure of my powers. And that is why I held the Caliosteo Cup. Long ago, I used this tournament to select the Majestic Vessel. And now I have done so once more! You should rejoice, Dina! You will become the new body for the great Zongazonga! With you as my vessel, I will have no trouble regaining all of my former powers...and I will use those powers to rule the world! And when your body withers with age, I will simply choose another. And another...and another! I am eternal! I am immortal! I WILL NEVER DIE!"

Todd and Dina rushed to the elevator, but it had been shut down. They were trapped. The wall suddenly burst behind them and a familiar scene played before them. Dina grabbed Todd's hand and raced over, leaping and grabbing onto the B-Ptera as it flew by. Exhaustion took over, and the two teenagers fell asleep as the vivosaur flew around the islands.

"...Are ya'll awake?" Dina and Todd awoke in a very familiar looking area. A skull with a crown bounced over to them.

"That skull's talking!" Todd shrieked. "And bouncing! W-wait! I know you! You're Don Boneyard! But wait! Maybe you're actually the skull of King Zongazonga…! Ok, who are you?"

[Hi, Joe,] Dina greeted. Todd stared at her.

"Are you crazy, Dina?" He questioned. "You think this skull is actually Joe Wildwest!?"

"I'm afraid Dina's right there, small fry," the skull sighed. "I really am Joe Wildwest. I reckon I know how crazy it sounds, but I need ya'll to believe me. Especially you, Todd."

"How do you know my name?" Todd asked.

"Cause ya told it to me," Joe answered. "Remember? Two years ago after we battled that angry Allosaurus?"

"Two years ago? The Allosaurus? Only Joe could know about that!" Todd grinned.

 _And Rupert and Pauleen and anyone else you told,_ Peak snorted.

 _Hush,_ Mayrah scolded.

"I used to dream 'bout a place where Fighters could dig up fossil rocks and battle to their heart's content," Joe said. "That's why I built this here Caliosteo Fossil Park. But just before the doors opened, I stumbled onto the Stone Pyramid and decided to take a peek inside. That's when I found me a big stone chest, and...well I reckon ya'll know the rest. The skull of that Zongazonga feller flew up and took over my body! And here I am. Rollin' around like a tumbleweed on the plains. But my body's got a few miles on it, so Zongazonga started lookin' for a new Majestic Vessel. He organized the Caliosteo Cup and summoned Fighters from across the world. I knew I had to stop it, so I disguised m'self as Don Boneyard and formed the BareBones Brigade. But flyin' skulls warn't the only thing I found at the Stone Pyramid. I also tracked down some Boneysaurs. I took as many as I could find and gave 'em to the BB Brigade. And after that, we did everything we could to disrupt the Cup…'Course you didn't make it easy there, pardners. Every time we got close, ya'll pushed us back again."

[I'm sorry-]

"Aw, heck, don't go apologizin' now!" Joe interrupted Dina. "Ya'll were just doin' what ya thought was right. But I gotta admit, ya'll have surprised me at every turn. I never reckoned I get beat by the small fry I rescued two years ago! Well, I wish we had time to sit around and jaw, but we don't. Ol' Zongazonga went to a lot'a trouble to hold that Cup, and he's gonna want Dina's body. He ain't gonna give up until he has it, so ya'll need to vamoose from these islands right now."

"Joe's, right, Dina!" Todd agreed. "We need to get out of here!"

[We can't just leave!] Dina protested. [We have to stop Zongazonga or else he'll just keep stealing bodies! Plus, Joe can't stay a skull forever. We need to get his body back for him. It's the least we can do after we stopped him from stopping Zongazonga."

"I appreciate ya sayin' that, Dina," Joe said. "But I'd feel terrible if something happened to ya. Don't be a hero. Run while ya still can."

"I don't want to sound like a chicken or anything, Dina." Todd took a deep breath. " _HE'S A FLYING SKULL THAT CAN STEAL YOUR BODY_! Let's just leave. Ok? Let's leave together"

[No.] Dina stared defiantly at him.

"Damn it, Dina!" Todd cursed. "I'm worried about you! Don't you understand…!? Fine then! Get your skull stolen…! See if I care!" Todd ran out of the room, leaving Dina and Joe behind.

"This is some triangle ya got yerself into, small fry," Joe said. Dina gave him a confused look, but he didn't give any explanation. "Ya sure about this, pard? Yer riskin' an awful lot to help little ol' me."

[I'm very sure,] Dina answered.

"I owe ya more than you'll ever know." Joe would have smiled if he had lips. "But I gotta tell ya, I don't have the first idea 'bout how to beat this Zongazonga feller. I know them ancient folks managed to seal him up somehow, but I don't know how they did it. Aw, horse apples! Wish we had someone around that knew the history of these here islands…"

[We do!] Dina smiled. [Professor Scatterly! He knows all about Zongazonga. He might know something!] Joe hopped into her pocket and she teleported back to Cranial City.

She rushed to the museum and explained the situation to Professor Scatterly. Unfortunately, he thought it was one big joke. At least, until Joe hopped out of Dina's pocket.

"Good gravy!" Professor Scatterly gasped. "A skull that moves and talks! Well, this is simply fascinating. With this proof in front of me, it seems I've little choice but to believe your tale. Although, if Zongazonga really has come back, I'm afraid it leaves us in a bit of a fix. Yes, quite. If he were to seize your body and reclaim his true powers...I say, it would be a right terrible thing for this world!"

"Look, Professor," Joe said. "We need to know how ol' Zongazonga was defeated the first time."

"How was he defeated? Oh my. Oh dear me." The professor seemed distressed. "I'm afraid I don't know. Hold a moment! Yes, if I were to investigate there…" Their attention was stolen away by the sound of shouting outside. They headed out to see what was going on, only to find that the Mammoth Vision screen was floating above everyone. Zongazonga appeared on the screen.

"Hello there, everyone," he greeted. "It's me. Joe Wildwest. I'm afraid I have some sad news about our champion, Dina. I've learned that our champion is actually a member of the hated BareBones Brigade. Yes, it seems that Dina has been running with them since the beginning. Also, Dina has been rigging matches to be assured of victory. Our so called champion is nothing but a fraud! This cheater is hiding out somewhere with all the other BB Brigade cronies. Hear me well! I want Dina captured and brought to me!" Dina stood frozen in horror, her eyes wide. Just as they were about to escape, Rupert and Pauleen rushed out of the Fighter Station. Rupert' eyes were dark and his lips pressed tightly together in a worried frown. Pauleen looked equally as worried, her face pale and her hands unable to stop fidgeting.

"It's alright, digadig," Pauleen said. "We're on Dina's side." Rupert nodded and walked over to stand beside Dina.

"We battled you in the Cup, and we know you won by fair means," he agreed. "And that you would never join the BareBones Brigade. I've no idea why Joe's spreading this awful rumors, but we will assist you in any way we can." Dina's eyes brimmed with tears as she smiled up at Rupert and then hugged him. Rupert carefully wrapped his wings around her, holding her close.

"That's real touchin', you two," Joe hopped out of Dina's pocket. "But we can't be wastin' time out here like this. We gotta gallop back to the BB Brigade Base, and fast."

"It's D-Don Boneyard!" Pauleen scrambled back. "What's he diga-doing here!?"

"I'll fill ya in on the details later, kid," Joe said. "Right now, we gotta hurry! If they track down Dina, the world's in a heap'a trouble!" Rupert frowned and looked between the skull and Dina, fear sparking in his eyes as he considered the idea of the rumors being true. He pushed them back, reminding himself that this was Dina and not some person he had just met. If she was working with Don Boneyard, there had to be a good reason.

"I can't say I know what's going on," he said. "But I trust your judgement, Dina. Come, Pauleen, we should go with them." Pauleen nodded. Joe jumped back into Dina's pockets as Stella, Terry and Kent approached.

"You've disappointed me," she said. "I trusted you, you know?"

"Who knew the champ was actually a member of the BB Brigade?" Terra shook his head and frowned. "It's sad, really."

"Come on, little dude," Kent said gently as he stepped forward, forcing a small smile. "Just come with us and nobody has to get gnarly. You know we don't want to hurt you." Rupert let out a deep growl, startling the staff members and making them take a few steps back. They eyed the dinaurian uneasily before they decided that they could handle the situation.

Before they could take one more step, however, Todd came zooming in to stand in front of his friends.

"Run, you guys!" Todd called over his shoulder. "Run now! I'll take care of these guys! Hey, Dina…? Remember when I said I wanted to run because I was worried about you? Well, it's not entirely true. Yeah, I was really worried, but I know you can protect yourself. I actually wanted to run because...I was afraid. I've run from a lot of things, you know? I'd just hang back and let you do all the hard stuff. You were always so brave, Dina! You took on everything, no matter how scary it was! And then Pauleen took off her mask and Rupert stood up to his father, and...and I realized I was a coward. It...made me ashamed. But I'm done running! No more fake stomachaches for me! You're my best friend, Dina, and I'm going to save you! Go already!" He tossed ot his Stego. Dine tried to hurry to his side, but Rupert held him back.

"Todd can do this," he said. "We have to believe in him." Dina glanced back at Todd before she turned and ran with the others looking over her shoulder and wondering if they were going to make it out alive this time.


	13. The Rise of the King

The group was gathered in the abandoned BB Brigade base. Dina was staring down at her feet. Pauleen sat next to her, trying to comfort her in anyway she could while Joe explained the whole story. Rupert's wing was draped around his two friends protectively..

"I must admit, this is something of an amazing story," he said. "I believe you, and yet I find it hard to imagine that Joe's body is being controlled by an ancient sorcerer. Or that this bouncing skull is actually the real Joe Wildwest. It's a shame that the Cup was being held for such a nefarious purpose." He growled and his tail gave a fierce lash. Dina could understand why he was so upset; the Cup had been the happiest part of his life since he started working with his father in the company and now he had learned it was all just a lie. Pauleen reached up and gently rubbed the edge of Rupert's wing.

"A skull that lives by stealing bodies?" she breathed. "Talk about freaky, digadig!" Rupert glanced down at Dina, who hadn't signed a word since they got to the base.

"Are you worried about Todd?" he asked.

[Of course I'm worried about him!] She glared up at him. Her shoulders slumped as the sudden burst of anger faded back to grief. Pauleen and Rupert shared a look.

"This was his choice, and his path," Rupert said softly. "I'm sure he will be alright."

"Rupert's right, digadig!" Pauleen jumped in. "Todd called himself a coward, but he had to be pretty brave to put up with your shenanigans! We'll beat Zongazonga, get Joe's body back and then find Todd!" Dina cracked a small smile.

"Good heavens!" Professor Scatterly exclaimed. All eyes and eye sockets turned to him. "I just thought of something. According to the Calio Slablets, Zongazonga was defeated by the people of the Caliosteo Island. After this, they sealed him inside the Stone Pyramid, yes? Then it stands to reason that the method of defeating Zongazonga may yet remain in that structure! You know where the Stone Pyramid is, yes?" He turned to Joe.

"Sure do!" Joe answered. "It's in the Jungle Labyrinth. If ya check a bush at the deepest point, you'll open up a path to the Stone Pyramid. But, Zongazonga's been tellin' everyone that Dina here's a thief and a liar. Folks know you two are friends. If they see ya runnin' around, there might be trouble...Hold on, now. I think I got myself an idea." He hopped away and returned a while later with a mask. He gave it to Professor Scatterly, who headed out.

[Um, Joe, sending Professor Scatterly might not have been the best idea,] Dina signed. [He tends to get lost very easily and forgets things.]

"Ah, horseflies," Joe sighed. "Well, I got me a second mask that you could borrow, but you gotta be careful, ya hear?"

[I will. Thank you.]

"Hold on, Dina!" Rupert jumped in front of her. "We can't send you after him. You can't talk without hurting yourself and you're the only one on this island that communicates through sign language." Pauleen stiffened.

"He's right!" She stepped forward. "It's too diga-dangerous! Take off the mask and let me go instead, digadig."

[No, I have to do this,] Dina signed. [It's my body Zongazonga wants. He threatened all of your lives and still is. This is for me and Joe to do. Please, stay here where it's safe until I come back.] Rupert nodded and stepped aside so she could head out.

Dina managed to avoid everyone looking for her by some stroke of luck. She raced through the jungle, stopping at a large bush. It had been cut away from some other place and put there as a barrier, but it was easy to move aside. She reached the Stone Pyramid and slowly made her way through it. Professor Scatterly was already there when she reached the room with the chest. Joe hopped out of Dina's pocket.

"I've been searching high and low, but I'm no closer to finding a way to defeat Zongazonga," Professor Scatterly sighed.

[We have to keep trying,] Dina signed. The three wandered the room, searching for anything. Dina noticed runes on the back of the wall and walked over, waving the professor over so he could decipher them.

"To defeat Zongazonga," the professor translated. "The people crafted an ultimate weapon called the Caliosteo Pipsqueak. They used this weapon to knock Zongazonga's skull out of its stolen body. The Caliosteo Pipsqueak could also keep Zongazonga from stealing bodies for a short time. The people used this moment to capture the skull and seal it away in the stone chest."

"The Caliosteo Pipsqueak?" Joe echoed. "Seems like a pretty wimpy name for a weapon. But if it knocks Zongazonga outta my body, then I'm all for it! Where can we find this Caliosteo Pipsqueak, Professor?"

"We fear the seal holding Zongazonga may one day be broken," the Professor continued. "If such a day should come, know that we have hidden the Caliosteo Pipsqueak here. Press the crest on the wall and accept the trial of the guardian. If you prevail, the ultimate weapon shall be yours."

Dina stepped forward and immediately pressed the crest on the wall. The ground rumbled and shook and the wall raised up, revealing three B-Rexes. Dina sent Riptide, Mayrah and Fury out.

Riptide and Fury attacked the B-Rex in front, defeating it within seconds. The B-Rexes charged Riptide, sending him back into a Medal. Mayrah and Fury quickly took out the second B-Rex, leaving just one left. It Bit down on Mayrah's neck, but she kicked it away, ending the battle.

The Caliosteo Pipsqueak fell and Dina caught it. They took the weapon back to the BB Brigade Base where Pauleen and Rupert were still waiting and explained the plan to them. Professor Scatterly went on ahead to the Stone Pyramid to fix the chest so it could never be opened again while the others rode on the B-Ptera's back. However, something went terribly wrong; Zongazonga's spell knocked the B-Ptera out of the sky. Rupert was luckily able to open his wings and help slow their descent enough to where they only received minor bruises from the crash landing.

Thankfully, they landed close enough to Cranial City to where they could just walk there, but they would have to climb up to Wildwest Tower.

"I can just fly there myself," Rupert said, beginning to open his wings. "Give me the Caliosteo Pipsqueak an- agh!" He cringed in pain. Dina and Pauleen immediately rushed to his side to see what was wrong. His left wing hung limp and useless at his side, having been fractured in the crash.

"Looks like we'll have to climb up the old fashioned way then," Pauleen sighed. "Don't worry, Rupert, once we get everything sorted out we can get that wing of yours fixed."

"Well now. That's a bold plan." Terry walked over to them, blocking their path along with Stella and Kent. Joe leaped out of Dina's pocket and tried to reason with them.

"Stella! Terry! Kent!" He pleaded. "Ya gotta listen to me! I'm the real Joe Wildwest! That thing in the tower is just an evil skull that wrangled up my body…! Sounds crazy when ya say it out loud, but it's true! Now ya'll gotta let us pass!" Unfortunately, the staff members refused to listen.

"We don't have time for this nonsense," Rupert snarled. "Go, Dina! Get to Zongazonga!" Dina grabbed Joe and took off running towards the Fighter Station as Pauleen and Rupert sent out their vivosaurs. She skidded to a stop in front of the elevator as Todd walked out.

"Hey there, pard!" Joe greeted. "What are you doing all the way-"

"Save it!" Todd snapped. "I'm here for Dina! I know you never liked me! I know you make fun of me for losing to you in Round 1!"

[Todd I have done no such thing!] Dina protested. [You're my best friend!]

"Shut up!" Todd stepped forward, pulling out his Dino Medals. "You can't fool me anymore! You replaced me with Rupert and Pauleen! You care about them more than me! I'm gonna stomp you flat, and then I'm gonna laugh at _you_!"

"He's been hypnotized," Joe observed. "We gotta find someone to battle him. The stress of combat should be just the thing to snap him out of it."

[I'll do it,] Dina signed.

"I reckon it's a fine idea," Joe said glancing at Todd. "Just try not to hurt the poor feller."

They sent out their Dino Medals. Todd had a Spinax, Goyle and Barbaros. Dina sent Peak at the front alongside Mayrah and Fury. A critical bite from Peak managed to take out a good chunk of Barbaros's health and in the next turn it was defeated. Fury went after the Spinax, but didn't do a lot of damage. The Goyle managed to confuse Peak as the Spinax attacked him. In his confusion, he attacked the Goyle and managed to defeat it. The Spinax attacked Fury, defeating her in a single hit. Mayrah slammed into the Spinax as it forced Peak back into a Dino Medal. One last flick of her wings ended the fight.

True to Joe's words, the hypnosis wore off once the battle was over. Todd was overwhelmed with guilt and stared down at his boots.

"I was cheering you on the whole time," he murmured. "But I guess I was jealous the whole time. Jealous of how you alway won...how easy it was for you...I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Dina smiled and walked over, hugging her childhood friend.

[It's okay,] she signed.

"Ain't nothin' to be ashamed of, pard," Joe agreed. "We all get jealous from time to time. Even ol' Joe Wildwest here. What I can't forgive is Zongazonga twistin' that emotion to make ya'll fight each other!"

"Th-thanks, Joe," Todd managed to smile. "All right! Let's find Zongazonga and give him what for! But, um...how do we do that exactly?"

[The Caliosteo Pipsqueak,] Dina answered. [It was an item created by the ancient people of the islands that will knock him out of Joe's body and will make him unable to steal another for some time.]

"It's Dina!" Two staff members raced up the stairs. Joe leaped in front of them and ordered Todd and Dina to go after Zongazonga. Reluctantly, the two agreed. The wall of the suite had been fixed, supposedly by Zongazonga's magic.

"Huh." He turned to them. "I must say, I did not expect this. Still, it spares me the bother of searching for you, so I suppose I should be thankful. Yes, well, let's not waste any more time with empty threats or the revealing of plans. You will give me your body, and you will do it now."

[Not so fast!] Dina pulled out the Caliosteo Pipsqueak. Zongazonga stopped and stared at it.

"Where did you get that?" He hissed. "That... _thing_ is not supposed to exist anymore."

"Jokes on you, chump!" Todd laughed. "And now we're gonna use it to knock you outta Joe's head!"

"Bold words from a small man," Zongazonga sneered. "But you have won nothing yet." With a flick of his hand, he send the two tumbling with a powerful blast of wind. Dina winced as a piece of rubble cut open her leg. She heard Todd cry out and looked up. The Caliosteo Pipsqueak had been blown out of the tower. Zongazonga approached Dina and she scrambled up, backing into the wall. Todd disappeared over the side of the tower. Dina threw out her Dino Medals and Zongazonga rolled his eyes. He tossed a few out himself.

Zongazonga had an Argento, Berto and Seidon. Dina sent out Mayrah, Riptide and Fury. Riptide charged the Berto. Fury attacked the Argento and Mayrah bit into the Seidon's neck. Mayrah defeated the Seidon while Riptide kept fighting the Berto and Fury clung to the Argento's back. The Berto bit into Mayrah, flinging her away. The Argento quickly took out Fury. Riptide and Mayrah quickly turned and attacked the Seidon. The Seidon slammed its tail into Mayrah and the Berto bit into Riptide. Riptide broke free and slammed into the Argento, sending it back into a Dino Medal. A flick of Mayra's wings ended the battle.

"Well played indeed, human," Zongazonga chuckled. "But I expected no less from my Majestic Vessel. And yet, without the Caliosteo Pipsqueak, I am invincible! So what will you do…? Perhaps you will send your vivosaurs to attack me? Ah, but you cannot do that. Because doing so would destroy the very body you came here to save. All things end the same. Your body will be mine, one way or the other."

[That is sick and you belong in a jail.] Dina scowled at him.

"I got it Dina!" Todd appeared at the hole in the wall, holding the Caliosteo Pipsqueak. "I may not be good at much, but I'm _really_ good at climbing! Here, Dina! Catch!" He threw the hammer to her. Dina caught it and, ignoring the pain in her leg, raced forward and slammed it into the face of Zongazonga, knocking the skull out of Joe's body.

"I bet he feels pretty... _.light-headed_!" Todd collapsed into a fit of giggles at his own joke. Dina smiled and rolled her eyes. They looked over as Joe, Rupert and Dina appeared from the elevator. Joe hopped back into his body and they turned their attention the skull laying on the floor. They chased it around, desperately trying to catch the skull. Unfortunately, it was too fast. Dina and Pauleen crashed into one another, Todd tripped over his own two feet and Joe was still getting used to being back in his body and was borderline useless in the situation. The skull hopped into the elevator, but Rupert raced after it and the two disappeared as the elevator went down. Joe, Pauleen, Todd and Dina stared at it as it came back up, empty. They quickly hopped inside.

"R-Rupert?" Todd stammered as he stepped out of the elevator. "The skull didn't...get away, did it?" Rupert shook his head and smirked.

"Not to worry, Todd," he said. "I got it." A collective sigh of relief came from the group.

"So what do we do now?" Todd asked.

"We take that skull to that Stone Pyramid place and seal it up, diga!" Pauleen answered.

"While ya'll do that, I'll let everyone know what happened so they stop chasin' ya around," Joe said. "Now hurry! Get to the Stone Pyramid and lock that Zongazonga feller in the hoosegow for good!" Rupert walked over and handed the skull to Dina.

"It's only proper you carry his skull to the end," he said. "After all, you are the one who defeated him. Don't worry, I gave him a sound thrashing. You'll be safe." Dina nodded and took the skull. She paused for a moment, wondering why Rupert wasn't acting normal. Usually he would have insisted on keeping the skull in case anything happened or at least would fight to keep it out of Dina's hands before finally giving up. For him to so willingly put her into danger was unsettling to say the least. She decided to shrug it off.

The group rushed into the Stone Pyramid where the chest lay open and waiting. Dina stepped forward, ready to put the skull in. The skull leaped out of her hands. Todd and Pauleen panicked and got as far away from it as they possibly could.

"N-no, stop!" The skull cried out. "I'm not Zongazonga! It's me, Rupert!"

"Yeah, right, do I look stupid to you?" Pauleen scoffed.

"I'm not lying!" The skull insisted. "I'm Rupert! Please, my friends, you must believe me!" Dina walked over to the skull, shaking from a mixture of exhaustion, fear and pain. She knelt down in front of the skull.

[I think it's really him,] she signed to the others.

"Okay, but first it's gotta tell us something only Rupert would know." Pauleen eyed the skull warily.

The skull turned to her, the empty sockets devoid of any emotion and yet there still seemed to be a small spark of sass as it replied, "Honestly, Christina you need to stop being so sour."

"...It's him."

"Your fans are gonna freak out if they see you like this," Todd said.

"I'm less worried about the fans and more worried about the _sorcerer that just stole my body_ ," Rupert huffed. "I managed to capture Zongazonga's skull in the elevator, but before I could subdue the thing it struck me with a headbutt. When I came to, I found myself in my current state."

"Blast!" Professor Scatterly frowned. "The effects of the Caliosteo Pipsqueak wore off sooner than we anticipated."

"That skull is a really good actor, digadig," Pauleen said. "I had no idea Rupert was really Zongazonga."

"Hey, wait, where did Zongazonga go?" Todd asked. "He was just here! I mean, Rupert was just here. Wait, I mean Rupert's body was...Oh, you know what I mean!"

"Dina, please find my body," Rupert pleaded as he turned to her. In an attempt to lighten the mood just a bit he added, "I've grown rather attached to it over the years." That earned him a snicker from Todd. Dina picked up Rupert's skull and rushed out of the pyramid.

 _Rupert's Mapo King just contacted me, Dina,_ Mayrah said. _They are at Icegrip Plateu._

Dina hurried to Icegrip Plateau, eager to end the whole mess once and for all. She kept Rupert in her pocket and approached Zongazonga, who stood at the edge of the ice. He turned, blinking in surprise. He had gone back into Rupert's human form.

"Dina, is something wrong?" he asked. "Was there a problem with Zongazonga's skull? Oh, nevermind that, you must be freezing. What were you thinking coming here without a coat?" In truth, she was. She hadn't thought to grab her coat in the sun was beginning to set and the temperature was dropping faster by the minute.

[I'm fine, really,] Dina signed to him. Zongazonga frowned at her.

"No, you're not," he said. "You're shivering. Is that _blood_!? You're injured! Dina, you reckless...oh, what am I going to do with you?" He hurried to her side, taking his coat off and wrapping it around her before he knelt down to examine the wound. Dina suppressed a shudder. Pauline was right; Zongazonga was a good actor. A little too good. It was beginning to make her sick.

[I'm fine,] she repeated. [I came here looking for you.]

"I should have stayed with you," Zongazonga sighed as he stood up. "That wound isn't life-threatening but it could get infected if not treated. Come, we should head back to the Fossil Station so you can get bandaged up. I'll even make you some hot cocoa; my treat for saving the world." Dina backed away from him.

[I haven't saved it yet,] she signed. [Knock it off, Zongazonga, I know it's you.] Zongazonga let out a loud laugh.

"You must be very frustrated," he said. "This little boyfriend of yours would have had me if the Caliosteo Pipsqueak's power had lasted just a second longer. But I have good news, Dina! I've decided not to steal your body after all! Rupert's body is your equal in every way. It's quite remarkable, really. It is a flawless vessel from which to launch my glorious reign! Behold the power of the Majestic Vessel!" He raised his arms and began to chant. From the ocean rose a floating castle, ominous waves of power surrounding it.

 _This is going to be a long night,_ Dina thought.


	14. The End of Zongazonga

**A huge apology to everyone for not getting this out sooner! I've had this finished for a while, however things started happening in my personal life and I had to deal with that. Updates will be slower now due to health issues, but I will be getting them out as soon as I can. This may be the final chapter of the game, but the fanfiction is not nearly over just yet.**

The Caliosteo Patrol team and Joe were all gathered in Joe's suite, waiting for news from the Staff members to see if they could get into the castle. Rupert stayed beside Dina, fretting over her as Pauline bandaged her leg. The staff members managed to contact Joe, but communications were cut by the storm Zongazonga had created around his castle. A heavy cloud of despair hung over the group.

 _You think they had to cannonball into the sea?_ Peak asked.

 _Peak, you're a genius!_ Dina cried out.

 _What?_

[I've got an idea!] Dina signed. They all turned to her, eager to hear what she had to say. [Follow me!] She led the group back to Ribular Island and to the Fossil Lawn, stopping in front of the Fossil Cannon.

"You wanna use the Fossil Cannon to shoot yerself into the castle!?" Joe's jaw dropped.

"Dina," Todd said. "Dina, no."

[Dina, yes,] Dina shot back. [Do you have any other ideas?]

"That's fair," Todd sighed. "But seriously! You come up with some pretty crazy ideas, Dina."

"I'd say 'absolutely not' myself, but Dina's plans always end up working somehow," Rupert said.

"I doubt even some nasty storm cloud could stop you if we did this, diga!" Pauleen circled the cannon, grinning.

"Well, I s'pose it's possible." Joe had gotten over his shock. "But we still got a problem. See, this here Fossil Cannon was designed to fire rocks...not people. If we tried to fire ya out of it, ya'd be blown to kingdom come!"

"Then perhaps I can be of some assistance." The group all spun around as Rupert's father walked over.

"I've been...briefed on the situation, and I wish I could say the good of the world is my first concern," Rupert's father said as he stared down at his son who was currently a skull. "But in truth, I'm more concerned with retrieving the body of my son. I believe I can modify the cannon to fit your needs. Will you allow me to assist you?"

"Um, but, sir?" Todd squeaked. "Mr. FossilDig CEO? Are you sure you can modify it?"

"Of course I can," Rupert's father huffed. "I built the thing. I will make it so the cannon will be able to fire a person as easily as a fossil rock. However, time is short, it will need to be a rush job. I fear we'll only be able to launch a single person."

All eyes turned to Dina. She nodded. She was staring at Rupert's father like she wanted to hit him, but she knew that wouldn't do much to help.

"I will need some assistance with parts," Rupert's father said. "As well as people willing to do manual labor."

"Oh, woooow," someone said from behind them. "Like, we're toooootally skilled at labor." The group spun around yet again to see Cole, Lester and Lola walking towards them.

"What are ya'll doin' here?" Joe asked, his eyes wide.

"Like, when we found out that Don B was actually Joe Wildwest, it blew my miiiiind," Lola said. "You totally fooled us. It was a trip and a half, maaaan."

"Yeah, I was just comin' along because I liked breakin' stuff," Lester added. "I never knew there was a good reason for it!"

"Even I, the clever one, fell for your story." Cole nodded. "You're a sly dog, Joe Wildwest. I'll give you that." Joe hung his head in shame.

"I admit it," he said softly. "I used ya, and I lied to ya as well. And though my intentions were good, that ain't no excuse. I'm sorry."

"Hold the phone, boss!" Lester exclaimed. "Don't apologize! Apologizin's for suckers!"

"And we're not angry, you know?" Lola smiled up at Joe. "It was just, like, wooooah."

"You fooled us good, Joe, but that doesn't mean we hate you." Cole stepped forward. "I mean, look at us? You've got a vain hipster, a creepy rocker, and a ditzy hippie. Folks don't like us. They never have…at least, not until you came along." Lester and Lola nodded in agreement, though Lola seemed to be a little offended by being called ditzy.

"You took us in like a new drummer in a cover band," Lester said. "And that means you'll always be our boss!" Joe smiled at the three.

"Aw, shucks. Thanks ya'll," he said. "Well then, I guess we better get on with it. I want ya to gather the BB Brigade and give this feller whatever help he needs."

"Oh, me, me!" Todd raced over to join them. "I'll help too!" Pauleen grinned and hurried to stand beside him.

"Me too, digadig!"

Cole finally noticed Dina and he grinned, waving excitedly to her. Dina smiled and waved back at him. Cole's grin widened. Todd glanced over and said something to the others before he pulled Dina away.

"There's something I want to tell you," he said. "I...well, since the end of the world is sort of happening and we might not make it-not that I doubt you or anything-"

[Todd, don't beat around the bush,] Dina signed. Todd nodded and took a deep breath.

"I like you," he blurted out. "I mean, really like. Love, actually. I have for a long time now, but I never got the chance to tell you. But I've had this crush on Pauleen too! And Rupert's not so bad...Oh, geeze, I'm getting a crush on _Rupert_ now too, ugh!" He let out a whine. Dina stared at him before she let out a silent laugh.

[It's okay, Todd, I feel the exact same way,] she signed. [I like you, Rupert and Pauleen too. Right now, let's just avoid all that awkwardness and leave it until after we save the world.]

"Right, good idea," Todd smiled. "I'll go help the others now!" He rushed back to the others.

"You should go get some rest." Joe walked over to her. "Ya'll've been through a whole lot today and you'll need to be at full strength before you fight ol' Zongazonga. You should get that wound of yours looked at too." Dina would have protested, but now that the excitement was over she was becoming more and more aware of how exhausted she was. She nodded and limped back to the Fighter Station.

~...~

The next morning Dina immediately went to the Fossil Cannon. By the time she got back they had just finished modifying it. Everyone looked tired, but they smiled at her and wished her luck. Rupert hopped into her pocket. She got into the cannon and braced herself.

Being shot out of a cannon was not fun and she did not want to do it again.

Dina managed to land on her feet and raced up to where Zongazonga was standing. His eyes narrowed.

"You are beginning to annoy me," he growled. "But your effort is too little and much too late, I'm afraid. I have already grown accustomed to this body. My former powers have all returned to me! Now I shall show you the true power of my sorcery! I will show you long-extinct dinosaurs from beyond time itself...the same dinosaurs that once terrified the puny humans of the Caliosteo Islands! I will show you undead dinosaurs born of the Stygian dark! Fallen dragons from a bygone age! Your master, the mighty sorcerer, compels you! LEt your dark bones be cloaked once more in flesh of hate! Rise now!" From the ground burst two horrifying creatures; an Elasmo and Tricera. However, they were deathly thin and their skin was sickly purple. Where their eyes should have been were burning fires of blue.

"What are those things?" Rupert questioned, staring at them in horror.

"Zombiesaurs, of course," Zongazonga grinned. "Let's see how you do against your dear friend as well." He changed into Rupert's battle form, leaping in front of the Zombiesaurs with a twisted grin on his face. Dina froze.

"Dina, it's alright," Rupert told her. "If you defeat my battle form then he'll revert back to either my human or Dinaurian form. Don't hold back." Dina hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. She sent out Mayrah, Riptide and Peak.

The Z-Elasmo slammed into Riptide while Zongazonga leaped on to help it. The Z-Tricera locked horns with Riptide. Mayrah tried to grab the Z-Tricera, bit it darted out of her way. The Z-Elasmo rammed into Peak while Zongazonga and the Z-Tricera continued their attack on Riptide. Riptide let out a furious snort and shoved the Z-Tricera away. It scurried over to Peak and focused its attack on him instead. Zongazonga snarled and bit down on Mayra's leg. She slapped him away with her tail, right into Riptide. Riptide flung Zongazonga away and he reverted back into Rupert's dinaurian form. Dina let out a sigh of relief as she saw him glare at her. The Z-Elasmo and Z-Tricera managed to take out Peak. However, Riptide charged into the Z-Tricera, shoving it right off the castle. Mayrah bit down on the Z-Elasmo, which tried to attack Riptide. Riptide, however, wasn't having any of it and tossed it off the castle to join the Z-Tricera in the ocean.

Furious by the loss, Zongazonga leaped from Rupert's body. The skull began to transform and grow, turning into a huge Vivosaur with huge bony arms. By his side stood two Z-Rexes. Dina took a terrified step back, but Mayrah turned and nodded to her. Peak was still a little too weak to battle, so Dina sent out the Tophis instead.

Surprisingly, Riptide charged first, slamming into Zongazonga and sending him skidding back. Mayrah bit down on the neck of a Z-Rex and the Tophis gave her a burst of energy. Zongazonga sent a powerful cry their way. Mayrah and Riptide charged into him. The Z-Rex hit them with a powerful wave of fire, poisoning Mayrah. A Z-Rex bit down on her tail. Mayrah and Riptide focused on Zongazonga, taking him out. The two Z-Rexes roared at the group, but they would not stop. With a flick of her wing, Mayrah took out the first Z-Rex. The other managed to defeat her, but the Tophis curled itself around the Z-Rex's neck as Riptide charged into it. It went down.

 _WE WON!_ The excited roars echoed within Dina's mind from all over. She realized that it was more than just her vivosaurs; the vivosaurs from all over the islands, from all the Fighters, were cheering. Their voices carried over the minds of their Fighters to others and Dina could hear the distant roars of the excited crowds as they cheered for the end of Zongazonga.

Zongazonga roared and thrashed until he was back to being a skull.

"Even my...final spell...failed," he gasped. "Wh-why? Where do you get this power?" Rupert shakily stood up and turned to the defeated skull.

"My friend loves Fossil Battles," he said. "But she loves her vivosaurs even more. She treats them as equals-as family-and they respond to this affection and give their all to Dina's cause."

"Impossible!" Zongazonga snarled at them. "Some pathetic, mewling child won the hearts of these ancient creatures? Is _that_ what makes a Fossil Fighter? I don't understand! I don't understand any of this!" The skull began to crack, light exploding from within it. In moments, it had completely shattered. Rupert turned to Dina, a huge smile on his face.

"It's over," he said. "Thank you. Without you, I'd still just be a bouncing skull."

[Without me you wouldn't have been a skull in the first place,] Dina signed. Rupert laughed and shook his head.

"I wouldn't be happy without you," he told her. "If becoming a bouncing skull is what it takes to be your friend, I'd do it all again in a heartbeat." She smiled at him, but their joy faded as the ground beneath them began to crumble

[The castle is collapsing!]

Without even thinking, Rupert raced over and grabbed her, opening his wings. He cried out in pain and was forced to fold them.

"That damn sorcerer healed my wing for only himself," he snarled. "I can't fly." A shadow fell over them and a Ptera landed in front of them.

"The rescue team is here!" Todd announced from on the back of the vivosaur. Pauleen smiled down at them and held out her hand.

Rupert and Dina climbed onto the vivosaur and they flew away from the castle as it fell back into the sea. Dina watched it crumble, only turning her head away when she felt Rupert's hand on hers.

"Let's agree to never diga-do anything like this again," Pauleen said.

"Agreed," replied the others.

~...~

After their return, Joe was on the Mammoth Vision screen, telling everyone of how Dina had saved the fossil park. Dina, of course, was terrified of being on TV, but Rupert, Pauleen and Todd managed to cheer her up enough for her to step in front of the camera. She took a deep breath and walked over with her friends by her side. She didn't really pay much attention until Joe said something that startled everyone in the room.

"...and so I give the park to her," Joe had said. "Now, I know it warn't me who promised the park, but it came from my body, so I feel partially responsible. And besides, I can't think of a better way to express my gratitude for all ya did. Yer gonna be a right fine park owner Dina. I know it." He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Digadig!" Pauleen was hopping in excitement. "I can't diga-believe it! Diga-Dina's the owner of the park, digadig!"

"I think she's earned it," Rupert chuckled.

But Dina shook her head.

[Joe, I can't accept the park,] she signed. [You're the one who gave us the dream of Fossil Fighting. You're the one who has inspired countless of people all over to follow their dreams. Without you, I wouldn't have made such wonderful friends. I probably wouldn't even be a Fossil Fighter. You should keep the park so that you can continue to inspire people.]

"Well, shucks, Dina…" Joe smiled and nodded. "All right. Ya twisted my arm, so I'll stay on as the owner. And now that we've wrangled that out, I've got another announcement to make! This here tournament was a great success, in spite'a it being set up by some evil witch doctor. But while I was Don Boneyard, I did my best to mess it up, and I feel right shameful for it. So sometime soon, I plan on holdin' a second Caliosteo Cup! And it's gonna be the biggest, baddest, rootinest-tootinest tournament ever! So I want ya'll to get ready for the Caliosteo Super Cup! Yer gonna enter, right, Dina? Wouldn't be the same without ya…"

[I will enter,] Dina signed. [On one condition; I want to keep the Caliosteo Patrol Team alive. I want Rupert, Todd, Pauleen and I to continue watching over the park, but I also want Lester, Lola and Cole in it as well. They deserve it.]

"To be quite honest, the staff and I could definitely use the help with keepin' the park runnin'," Joe admitted. "When I was Don Boneyard, I noticed that the Staff were strugglin' to fight us and keep the park runnin' correctly. At first I thought it might have been the staff bein' too small, but then I saw that the staff is a fine size and we don't need anymore people in it; what we needed were some people who could take care of problems like the BB Brigade. I think yer little Patrol Team is exactly what this park needs. I'll even spread the idea 'round to all the other Fossil Parks out there so they can have their own Patrol Teams! And 'course the BB Brigade Commanders will be welcome onto the team if they want to join it. Yee-haw! Now let's get this world'a dinos and dreams its biggest adventure yet!"

Dina glanced over at her friends and smiled at them. Maybe now they could have a little bit of peace.

~...~

Deep within the heart of the jungle, a being sat upon the cliff. His black cloak waved with the breeze and the hood covered his dark blue-almost black-hair, shielding his face from the eyes of any nosey travelers. Then again, there wasn't much of a point in that considering how no one came down this way most of the time.

He stretched, flopping back onto the ground with a satisfied hum, eyes closing as if he was planning on taking a nap. However, that nap would have to be postponed. A shadow fell over him.

"What are you doing?"

He opened an eye, the pinkish-purple iris glowing against the black sclera in the darkness of the shadow. Above him stood a being that appeared to be a dinaurian. Her feathers were ruffled by the breeze and her lips pressed tightly together in a frown.

She was an odd sight to behold. She didn't seem entirely natural, and yet at the same time she did; a golden stripe ran down each side from the tip of her nose, past her eyes, down her flanks and to her tail where the two lines met together. It separated the dark violet marking that ran along from the top of her muzzle, down her head and neck and all the way to the middle of the tail where the gold stripe kept it caged, separated from the pale blue-violet that painted the rest of her body. Her claws were that same golden color as the stripe while the feathers that grew from her arm like a pair of miniature wings were the same dark violet of her back.

What was the strangest thing about her were the five clumps of sharpened feathers that grew from her back like spikes, starting off small but getting bigger and then getting smaller again. They were smoothed down, barely even noticeable, at that current moment.

"Hello, Scylla," the boy greeted the newcomer in a friendly manner, grinning up at her. The dinaurian was not amused with him and she bared her teeth at him.

"Stop avoiding my question," she growled.

"I'm just enjoying the view," the boy stood up, brushing a few stray leaves off his cloak. "No need to be rude, D-001 Version 2, I'm just relaxing."

"Call me that again and I'll live up to my name." Scylla's tail lashed irritably. She turned her gaze to the sound of the cheering crowd. "What will you do about that?"

"About what?" The boy questioned.

"He's fallen," Scylla replied. "His kingdom has crumbled for the last time. He'll never be seen again. So what will you do about it?"

The boy's eyes sparked with a sadistic ambition for just a moment before the light died away. He shrugged and turned his back to the Dinaurian, looking up as a flock of birds flew overhead. He smiled up at them in silent wonder.

"Nothing," he hummed. "I am not him, nor will I ever be. I am my own person now and, quite honestly, I could not care less for what happens to him. It would be nice to meet the one who defeated him, though. Perhaps we should pay them a little visit?"


End file.
